Messing With History
by The Muses
Summary: Is currently under construction. Sorry! I WILL be back! (Sorry... after book five, no marauder-era story is the same... I need to completely revamp this thing... feel free to read in the mean time though, but it's currently AU)
1. The everlasting Authors Note

Please Read!  
  
Below are regular updates, and answers to repeated and repeated (or just plain important) questions!  
  
I've realized the importance of having an authors note at the beginning of each story. Well, so now, everytime I have something important to say, instead of addding a new chapters worth of an authors note, I will write it here, with the date of the note, newest being at the top. Any big questions will be answered here from now on, also. So you might wanna come and check back to this regularly!  
  
~*~  
  
Updates:  
  
July 14 -  
GASP! I have redone EVERY SINGLE CHAPTER! Even added a sorting hat song! Since I read the fifth book, I realized I had so much crap wrong with this story, and have now made James and Sirius even bigger assholes then ever, and have erased Lily and James' relationship all together. And some more stuff like that ... mmk. Ok, due to the release of book five, I have postponed any writing until I have completely read the book five or six times, so I can get a hang of all the new stuff I gotta work with.  
  
July 7 -  
Yay! I finally updated! Yay! Yay! Yay! Yay! Chapter 13 is now available! *does happy dance* Yay!  
  
~*~  
  
YOUR Questions:  
  
To ___, reviewed Chapter Two - You asked me how my logic was working when I mentioned in chapter two that 'Lydia' didn't have enough syllables. Well, it states CLEARLY in the book that 'Hermione' is pronounced "Her-my-oh-nee' NOT 'Her-my-knee' like the stupid goddamn movie says it. Where does it say this? Book four, Chapter 23, 'The Yule Ball'.  
  
~*~  
  
Mmk.. Not much yet, huh? Lol. well, go and read my story, or read it over, cause its almost completely new now. Don't worry - If you've already read it once, then don't worry about reading it again, because its still the same plot line, but I fixed more grammar mistakes, and use more stuff that we find out in the fifth book, like that Sevvie wasn't that bad of an ass, and that it was all James' fault. Hah! Ducky, we were right! We kept telling everyone James and the marauders (excluding Remmie) were evil! WE told them, didn't we! And we were right! Ha ha ha!  
  
~*~ Mae Noelle 


	2. Chapter 1

Messing With History  
  
By Mae Noelle  
  
~*~ Disclaimer: *sigh* Is this really necessary? All right, see my stuff? Neither do I. I think you get it, right? Am I right?  
  
I have no idea what to rate this, so it will probably change later. I am going to guess that this is going to be a romance, drama, suspense like fic. I hope. I had tried to make it humorous, but failed miserably. I think. I really hope you enjoy it. Please Review! Flame! Do what ever, but do something that has to do with pressing the review button!  
  
I just thought this up last night in my sleep, and just started typing, so if this same plot line is out there somewhere, I didn't copy it, I swear.  
  
This story is mostly from Hermione's point of view, ok?  
  
~*~  
  
Ch. 1 - The beginning  
  
~*~  
  
It was finally over. Two whole months she had spent away from Hogwarts. No work, no Harry or Ron, though she had spent a lot of time with the two. They were her best friends, after all.  
  
Almost as soon as quickly as it took her to blink, she was packed up, on the way to the London train station, then sitting in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express, and then finally walking into Hogwarts for the sixth time, still feeling the unbelievable amount of relief and magic the castle brought to her.  
  
She sat at the Gryffindor table, next to Harry, and across from Ron. The second she turned around, all of the boys at the table were engrossed in a conversation having something to do with that new broom, the Cirrus Fire. Or whatever. Cirrus Storm, it might have been. Lavender, who seemed to have developed a crush on Harry over the summer, was sitting to his right, looking at him and nodding along with the boys' conversation.  
  
After what seemed like an eternity, the new 1st years piled in through the entrance of the great hall, all looking scared. McGonagall made her way in, somehow managing to get through the pile of new comers. She set down a stool in the front of the great hall, with the ragged old sorting hat on the seat of the stool.  
  
Hermione looked up at the stool, along with everyone else inside the Great Hall, as the brim of the hat opened up and began to sing:  
  
Long before you were born, A bit before I was me, There lived four wizards that had sworn, To create the school that you now see. The four wizards wished to teach Among the little wizards and the rest, The ones that had each Of the virtues they thought best. Among the throng the intelligent Ravenclaw did seek out, While the bravest and bold Gryffindor Thought were best without a doubt. Hufflepuff chose those who Worked harder then their brothers, And last but not least, it's true That Slytherin chose the determined And strong over all the others. Slytherin, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw Decided after they were gone and dead, That Gryffindor's hat would choose instead. They picked me up, and waved a wand, And now I'll give you a test And tell you where to go among the rest!  
  
There was a large round of applause, in which the first years started fumbling around even more nervously.  
  
Harry turned to Hermione, with a bit of a laugh, and said, "Remember when it was us up there? I remember almost wetting my pants..." Hermione smiled and nodded. Harry sat back up straight, and continued clapping with the rest.  
  
Hermione noticed there were a lot more students in this years first year class then any other year at Hogwarts, or any that had been at Hogwarts for a long time.  
  
She watched the sorting, which was taking longer then most people's stomachs would allow. After at least ten students, the first Gryffindor, Alex Elanial, was cheered as he came to sit at the end of the table. Hermione clapped along with the rest of the Gryffindors, feeling slightly bored, which shocked her, as she usually enjoyed the Sorting.  
  
Almost the entire time Hermione's mind wandered on the school year ahead of her which would one day just be a short minute in her memory, along with all the hard work she poured into every night. It was guaranteed that Hermione would get the spot of head girl next year, but Hermione still felt the need to be the best, just in case anything should happen.  
  
She looked over at Harry, and focused on the scar on his forehead. Automatically her brain tried to think up what odd thing could possibly go wrong this year. Every year since she had been in Hogwarts, every year that Harry had been in Hogwarts, something terribly wrong had happened. Hermione looked down at the shining plate in front of her.  
  
Though she had reprimanded Ron for thinking this way, the phrase he had often repeated sailed through her head. 'Everything happens to Harry...' this was, of course, true. He seemed to be the center, the reason, for everything. No. He was the center and reason for everything.  
  
Hermione didn't care in the least, of course. When the phrase said 'Everything happens to Harry' it meant everything. She didn't envy the torment and crap he was constantly dragged through.  
  
She stopped her thoughts for a minute to clap for another Gryffindor. The huge group of first years didn't have many lion hearted people in their midst this year. Hermione smiled warmly at the small girl that walked past her to sit with some other Gryffindor girls, who were waving the newcomer over.  
  
Hermione pulled herself back into her little reverie of thoughts. One year to go, she thought. After this year, only one more to go...  
  
Finally the last first year was called up, who became a Slytherin.  
  
Ron suddenly turned to Harry and Hermione. "Looks like all we have to find out now is who the new Defense against the dark arts teacher is!" He suddenly leaned in. "I heard it's this wacko from America-"  
  
Harry interrupted him by waving his hand. "No, actually, I heard someone say it was a woman. And I don't think they would put American wackos in our school, Ron." Harry gave Ron an odd look and put down his shining silverware. "Where did you get an idea like that, anyways? You never told me any rumors you heard,"  
  
"Well, I read it in the news," Ron said slowly, still trying to argue his point.  
  
"I see that Snape has slipped out of the Great Hall," Seamus suddenly said to Harry. "Greasy git always manages to make it out of the sorting. Wish I knew where he always hides. Wouldn't mind disappearing until the food appears myself," Everyone in earshot grinned.  
  
"So what interesting thing do you think is going to happen this year?" Harry suddenly pulled his hat off his head and pulled out a torn piece of parchment. He leaned forward and lowered his voice, moving his gaze between Ron and Hermione. "Sirius told me that he felt something funny was going to happen. He wouldn't say what, or any news, but that it was just an instinct he had. Always worried, with Vold-" He glanced at Ron "Er, I mean, You-Know- Who loose again." Everyone in the school had become even more finicky about saying Voldemorts name in the past years. A soul whispering it in the midst of the forbidden forest was way too loud to all the frightened ears making their home in the castle.  
  
In the corner of Hermione's eye, she saw the staff table stop their own conversations to turn their gaze towards Dumbledore as he stood. The Great Hall stopped its chatter to look up and listen to the wise headmaster of the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry.  
  
"Alright, Now I must say before we start our delicious meal, that of course the Forbidden Forest is forbidden to all the years, as Hogsmeade to all below the third year. Of course, we have our new Defense against the dark arts teacher-" He glanced quickly to the side of him, where two seats were empty. "Who is not here yet, I'm afraid. I am sure she shall be arriving quickly, but in the mean time-"  
  
Dumbledore abruptly stopped as a loud yell was heard echoing down the hallway. Dumbledore just stood, waiting patiently, facing the doorway.  
  
Suddenly the students all broke out in whispers, punctuated only by the sound of a very loud argument taking place outside the Great Hall.  
  
The sea of students turned towards the yelling, none of which were understandable, almost resembling a gale whipping against a small home. Dumbledore remained standing and expectant, knowing who made their way down to the doors of the Great Hall.  
  
Hermione turned to Dumbledore, and saw the corners of his mouth beginning to tug, and his eyes twinkling mysteriously.  
  
Snape appeared through the doorway accompanied by a woman with long, wavy chestnut hair. She looked about his age, too. They seemed oblivious to the eagerly staring audience.  
  
"All I asked was where the hell you had been -" Snape turned in front of the new lady and stopped in his tracks.  
  
"And I told you! You don't seem to understand, and nothing will get it through your thick skull! -" The woman took on an enraged countenance and pushed Snape to the side, making her way to the staff table, and turned to finish her conversation when she was interrupted by Dumbledore.  
  
The entirety of the Great Hall stared forward, most with mouths visibly open (including the staff table), though some students were desperately trying to keep their mouths shut, so they didn't burst out laughing.  
  
"And here she is! Our new Defense against the dark arts teacher, Miss Granger," Dumbledore motioned his hand towards the two empty seats at his side. Snape looked at the crowd, momentarily distressed, but smirked at the new teacher and walked (and slightly shoved her out of the way) to his seat at Dumbledore's side.  
  
"Hullo," Professor Lydia Granger waved out into the sea of students. A hushed whisper passed over the Great Hall. She walked over to her seat, next to Professor Sprout and Snape.  
  
She glared at Snape.  
  
At that moment, the whole hall's thoughts about her were confirmed, and the roar of applause echoed out of the castle, disturbing the peacefully quiet forest. Even the clear water of the lake rippled as the giant squid came up to the surface to observe the noise.  
  
"Did you see the look on his face? I thought he was going to start Avada Kedavra-ing people!" Ron stopped clapping to rub his hands. "Brilliant! Bloody brilliant! And she's going to be here all year! Can you imagine? Brilliant!"  
  
"Did you see Snape? His hair? He looked- almost-" Hermione gapped at the Snape now whispering something into the ear of the new teacher, making her face scrunch up, and she turned to elbow him in the stomach.  
  
"Civil!" someone behind Hermione cried out, having listened in to her conversation.  
  
"Human!" Parvati laughed as she stared open mouthed at the Snape and the new teacher, who were starting to have another row.  
  
"Handsome!" Lavender said, and everyone turned around to stare at her. "What?" She said, shrugging. "Alright, still no where near my level, but look - it's almost like he's dressing up."  
  
"Aye, she's right!" Ron grinned. "And I bet it has to do with that new professor! Brilliant!"  
  
"I wonder what they were talking about?" Hermione said suddenly, thinking about the heated argument the two professors had in the hall.  
  
"Hey, Herm, are you two related?" Harry said, and he and Ron turned toward Hermione.  
  
"I don't have any Wizards in my family, you know that," She shook her head and looked down at her plate. "And you know I would've mentioned it to you, if I'd had family going into the school,"  
  
"But - But you - look at you - look at her -" Harry stopped himself and shook his head.  
  
Ron shrugged at Harry, and turned to the heap of food now appearing on the table.  
  
Hermione grabbed a bit of everything. She sighed and shoved some mashed potatoes into her mouth.  
  
~*~  
  
The first few months of that year were shaping to be most interesting ones anyone had spent during their course at Hogwarts. Professor Granger (it sounded so normal for Hermione to say that, as she often would repeat it to herself - she always was hoping to become a professor someday) always had something interesting to say during their lessons.  
  
It seemed, though, that she let her eyes linger quite a lot on Harry, Ron and especially Hermione. It didn't go unnoticed by the trio, and it was quite unnerving for Ron especially, though he wouldn't admit to either Harry or Hermione why.  
  
Almost no mealtime was uneventful.  
  
One time Snape had obviously done something that had made the professor very mad, because she got up and strangled him. No one dared move, laugh, or breath. Especially laugh. After Professor McGonagall (as she seemed to be very good friends with Professor Granger) intervened and saved Professor Snape's life, Professor Granger stomped out of the Great Hall, closely followed by Professor Snape, and then McGonagall.  
  
One time Professor Granger had gone on in class about this funny story from when Snape had been younger. The class had gone on to Potions next, and Dean had accidentally called Professor Snape 'Professor Snapie-poo' a little too loud under his breath.  
  
Professor Snape turned a very unnatural shade of red.  
  
He then proceeded to fix a deadly glare on Dean, and anyone else who dared laugh, and ask him why he would have said that, and where he'd gotten that word. And when Dean refused to speak or move, Professor Snape had barreled out of the room. Neville laughed so hard he fell into his cauldron, and came out laughing up purple bubbles.  
  
Snape had come back to find his classroom a mess, and a class left to hysterics. Even the Slytherins had joined in the ever-contagious laughter. He had screamed at them until he was purple, and took fifty points from both houses.  
  
"But Professor Snape! I-" Malfoy had stuttered after Snape had taken the hunk of points off.  
  
"SHUT UP, MISTER MALFOY!" Snape was screaming himself hoarse, and beginning to hyperventilate. It was quite funny to watch.  
  
"Whatever you say, Snapie-poo," Malfoy sneered under his breath, eyeing Snape with an eyebrow lifted.  
  
Neville snorted out purple bubbles.  
  
~*~  
  
Hermione sighed as she got up from the table. Harry and Ron could be so tiresome. It is always Quidditch, Quidditch, Quidditch! Don't they ever get tired of it?  
  
Sometimes she felt lonely, and wished she could have just one good friend... just to leave, and explore somewhere new, and not have to worry about her grade and her problems, and just relax and have fun...  
  
She stood and straightened her robe, explaining to Ron and Harry that she needed to leave, and made her way to a very familiar hallway.  
  
Professor McGonagall had called her up to her office anyway, and she wouldn't care if Hermione were an hour or two early. She would understand Hermione's predicament.  
  
As she walked she thought to herself, and decided that from that moment on she was going to try and have more fun. If giving only 80% meant only getting 20% better grades then everyone else, then so be it. She tried to free her mind of her upcoming homework, and other work, and books.  
  
After maybe about ten minutes of walking she made her way to a door in the hallway. She knocked. And waited. And waited. And waited a few more minutes.  
  
Finally, the door opened. Hermione was about to say something, but Professor Snape stormed out of McGonagalls office. He didn't see Hermione, and plowed her into the wall. He turned and looked at the object that had been in his way, and looked startled to see her there. Hermione was startled herself at the odd gleam in his eye, especially as he stared at her.  
  
"Miss Granger, what do you think you are doing down here? Shouldn't you be up in the Great Hall, eating?" He gave her an accusing look, and when she opened her mouth to explain he just stormed off.  
  
Oh well, Hermione thought, sighing as she walked into Professor McGonagalls office. At least he didn't deduct points from me for being in his path. She snorted and walked into the room.  
  
She sat down in a chair by the Professors' desk. Professor McGonagall had told her to come down her whenever she needed her, and not to be shy. It seemed she had taken a liking to her.  
  
Hermione looked over her shoulder at a box filled with odds and ends, an assortment of old student junk. She looked around the room twice and then back at the box. Wouldn't hurt to take a peak...  
  
She got up and glanced in the box. Something shining caught her eye.  
  
"Hmm, my time turner," She breathed, reaching her hand carefully into the box. She grabbed the mini hourglass, and started to observe it. It was quite a small one, so no one could go back too far and wreak havoc. She held the time turner, pressing her fingers over the little engraving on the bottom, which bore the initials HG.  
  
Suddenly she had an overpowering idea.  
  
Greater forces seemed to be at work when she stared at the time turner... after all, she could've still had it, Professor McGonagall had said it would be fine, Professor Dumbledore insisted (though for different reasons), and she could've had it now anyways... She was holding the chain now, and it was being magnetically pulled towards her head.  
  
She stuffed the gold chain over her hair and around her neck.  
  
No one would miss it. Besides, it was hers.  
  
Why do I want it so bad? She thought. I don't have any need for it, I am not exactly some evil person waiting to kill someone from the shadows of yesterday, so why?  
  
She placed her hand slowly over her robe, over the lump that was her time turner, and stood wondering why she had just stolen her old time turner from a little box of odds and ends that lay on Professor McGonagalls desk. She contemplated putting it back for a moment, and dismissing that moment as temporary insanity.  
  
But just then Professor McGonagall came in.  
  
"Oh, so you're early? Well, all the better. I have something we need to discuss." Professor McGonagall walked over to her desk, and sat quickly into her chair.  
  
Hermione was tempted to say something about Snape, because he was in there while Professor McGonagall wasn't, and knowing the current Snape who know what he might've done. And to ask if he was taking drugs. He hadn't taken any points off of Gryffindor for at least a week. He might be sick, or close to death, for Heavens sake. Not that she cared too much for the heath of that despicable man, who had often tortured her and her fellow classmates for his own pleasure, (bitter, bitter man) but he was a professor, and the professor of potions, at that, probably the smartest one the school would be able to find. So her school work and learning depended on his health, which wasn't looking too good at the moment.  
  
"You see Miss Granger; we feel that you are not being quite challenged by anything in your year. You just soak up the books, and answer every question correctly, as if you knew everything already and just came to class to show it." She stopped to take in a breath. "For Merlin's sake, you passed Muggle Studies a few years ago with three hundred and twenty percent! And that was a subject you obviously weren't to fond of." She fiddled with a long, sleek, brown and black Eagle feather quill. "We have never done this before, but we think it would be better if we allowed you to skip a year. I am sure that you could catch up on everything that you have missed, then once you have, blow them all out of the water." Here she smiled fondly. "You do have quite a talent for catching on quickly. As I understand it," Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow, "You were the only student to figure out Lupin was a werewolf, correct?"  
  
Hermione nodded her head.  
  
If I left... Hermione thought silently, as Professor McGonagall continued on about the benefits of graduating a year early. I would have to leave my friends, Hermione thought to herself, My very few friends, to nothing. I don't even know any of the seventh years. Yes, cf course, I would be able to graduate a year before expected, but that would mean I had one less year here... Hermione sat miserably in her chair. A chance of a lifetime, sitting right in front of her - and she just couldn't take it. Harry and Ron would be startled though, that she hadn't taken something to bring challenge into her life. Another step towards the new Hermione.  
  
"And regarding the head girl fact... you would have to give up that title, as there is already a girl in the next grade as head girl, and we can't just boot her out of the Head Girl dormitory. But you aren't working for just the head girl title, are you?"  
  
Hermione stared forward. She almost snorted aloud, but thankfully was able to keep a sneer off her face. Of course she was working towards being Head Girl! That was what she had been working towards the whole time she had been studying her butt off in Hogwarts! If she didn't get that title, that achievement, then it wasn't worth skipping.  
  
"I shall give you some time to think about this. This is a very big decision to make, I know. Feel free to choose which ever would make you feel better." McGonagall stood, and walked over to a cabinet, and began to mess with the contents of one of the drawers. "You aren't challenged at all by this... and so we have just decided to offer you this opportunity. I am quite sure that you have learned nothing from us that you couldn't have learned better by yourself." Professor McGonagall shut her door, some papers in hand, and walked towards her door. "I hope you have a pleasant night." Professor McGonagall turned to Hermione and smiled. Hermione smiled back, and turned out and walked out of the corridor.  
  
Hermione walked for a while, turning this way and that, lost in thought. She could graduate at the end of this year... a year before expected... get a job a year before expected...  
  
She continued walking, her feet taking her to what she thought was the Gryffindor common, but she ended up reaching an odd passage that had a dead end.  
  
Startled, she came to a stop, and hovered in her position momentarily, before walking forward out of curiosity.  
  
A large wooden door covered the wall at the end of the hall, and its large iron handle quivered slightly.  
  
Where could this place have been hiding this whole time? She thought, slowly reaching towards the iron handle. She moved her hand down swiftly and gripped the handle, and turned it.  
  
Hermione pulled the door open a few inches and the door groaned slightly as she peered inside. A cold breeze struck her face from inside the room, and she pulled the door open further.  
  
Hermione pulled out her wand and looked around the room, feeling goose bumps rising on her arms.  
  
"Brrrr! What the-" She slapped a hand over her mouth as she saw a shadow of a figure turning around to face her. She turned around quickly to run out the open door, but the person behind her sent a spell flying that shut the large, heavy door two inches from her face.  
  
"What do you think you are doing here, little miss?" The mans words, though barely uttered, sliced the silence like he had yelled it. She saw the dark figure move, though barely.  
  
"Who- who are you?" Hermione turned and grasped her wand tightly, almost snapping it in half. She turned her head in the dark for a minute, and then daring to let in light, she uttered "Lumos!" and suddenly the pale face of a man appeared a few feet in front of her. Hermione put her hand over her mouth to stifle a scream.  
  
"I was just about to ask you the same question. Now, if you don't mind, give me your wand and move over towards that window. And be quick, or I will have to kill you slowly." The man put out his left hand, palm up, ready to take her wand, with his right hand tightly closed around a thick wand - which was pointed at Hermione's face.  
  
Hermione stepped backwards, her left hand behind her back groping the wall for the cold iron handle of the door. She found it and tried to turn it, but it was locked. She narrowed her eyes at the man who stepped closer to her.  
  
"I won't let you touch me," She hissed, and backed up slowly, still clutching her wand.  
  
He smirked and let out a laugh. It was a dark, drawling sort of laugh. It sent a shiver up her spine, and the hairs on her arms stood on end, and she clutched her wand tighter.  
  
"I don't think you have a say in that. Now, sit." She shook her head and put her wand behind her back. She backed into the door, muttered 'Alohomora' and turned the handle. Damn. Still locked. How do you lock the door from going out instead of in? Hermione thought desperately, racking her mind for spells or charms that would be useful in this position.  
  
"I think, since it is my life, that I do get a say." She pulled her wand in front of her, muttered some words that sent the man flying to the back of the room, and his wand flying out towards Hermione. She smiled to herself, and mentally thanked Professor Snape for teaching her that all those years ago.  
  
The man groaned and pulled his upper body up with his arms.  
  
Hermione turned and tried again to undo the lock. She swore and used the mans wand to tap it, but it remained stiff and locked.  
  
"You can't unlock it. It is my special charm, and until I fix it, you can't get out." The man laughed again, and Hermione turned to face him.  
  
The man was pulling himself up to his feet, and pulling something from his pocket. Hermione's eyes widened as he pulled another thick, coarse wand from inside his robe.  
  
"Well, you're delaying my job, and it won't be as destructive as it could've been, but I'm afraid your heroic efforts are in vain,"  
  
The man looked up to the ceiling, and raised his hands to it, and then looked out the window. He walked over to it, his black robes swishing around his feet, and broke the enchanted glass.  
  
Hermione stared at the man. She turned to the door again, and uttered destructive spells aimed at the door, to brake it down, but nothing seemed to affect it. Frantic, she turned around, and caught a glimpse of the man as he pointed his second wand to the ceiling, muttering a spell, which sent a shock through the room, and a crack across the ceiling.  
  
The man bared his yellow teeth in a grin, looking around as small pebbles and rocks fell to the floor, and raised his hand in mock solute to Hermione.  
  
"Tell the old man of this place, if you manage to get out, that the assault of his castle has begun." Then he turned to face the window, dropped his wand, and began to sink into his robe.  
  
A black crow emerged from the folds of black cloth, cocked its head, and flew out the window between the shards of remaining broken glass.  
  
Hermione ran across the room as a rock fell from the ceiling to her right, and bent down to pick up the third wand. She searched through the folds of the robe for any other wands or anything that might aid her to unlock the door, serenaded by the rumbling and cracking of the rock ceiling and walls around her.  
  
Hermione kicked at the door. Suddenly, a large slap of rock fell from the ceiling and came crashing down right in front of her. Right in front of the door. She was trapped.  
  
She looked around franticly - she had always managed to get out of these situations before, why couldn't she now? She put her wand in her pocket, and raced towards the window, climbing over a large boulder in her way. She pushed another one, but then -  
  
She put her hand to her chest, feeling the lump that was her hourglass. Hermione suddenly smiled, brightly, and pulled out her hourglass, and held it tightly in her hands. She turned over the hourglass twice, hoping to god that she was brought back to Dumbledore's office.  
  
As her hand was over her hourglass, turning it, there was a crack, and suddenly Hermione was on the ground, and all was black.  
  
Her hand clasped the hourglass, and she felt the grains of time flowing down and out of it, and she tightened her grip on it. There was another crack, the last sound that Hermione Granger heard. She lay there, covered, and after another split second, in which all this happened in, there was a flash of light, and Hermione Granger was gone.  
  
~*~  
  
You think you know what's happening? You think you know how this story will end? You don't. Trust me. Grr. Now officially re-vamped to co-exist with the Fifth HP book!  
  
... oh, want more, do you? Well thank your lucky stars that you are just now reading this after I already have 15 chapters out, instead of while there were none, like everyone else. O_O.  
  
I tried to do the sorting hat song, I really did! *sobs* I really did! I am sorry if I dissapointed everyone, but I hate it when other people somehow magically avoid the sorting hat song... so there ya go.  
  
Comments and suggestions, comments and suggestions... 


	3. Chapter 2

Messing With History  
  
By Mae Noelle  
  
~*~  
  
Disclaimer: *sigh* Is this really necessary? All right, see my stuff? Neither do I. I think you get it, right? Am I right?  
  
Okay, please, oh please review! I am not going to make any threats like, 'I will not write anymore if you don't review' just in case there is one person out there who likes my fic, or more, but just don't like to review.  
  
I just thought this up last night in my sleep, and just started typing, so if this same plot line is out there somewhere, I didn't copy it, I swear. I don't read these stories at all.  
  
This story is mostly from Hermione's point of view, ok?  
  
~*~  
  
Ch. 2 - Lost wanderings  
  
~*~  
  
She woke up, lying on damp grass. She looked out around her, peering through the dark, cold air, thoroughly confused. The full moon cascaded light down onto the girl lying on the ground, and eerie shadows played over her as thick clouds passed over her head. A mournful howl cut through the night, and the girl sat up quickly, her heart beating franticly. She looked around her, and saw to her right a line of trees stretching across the land, within them nothing but darkness. She looked across the green yard on which she laid, and saw a large knarled tree whipping its branches around it. She turned around and saw a deep black lake, reflecting the melancholy moon and black clouds with gentle ripples.  
  
Where am I? She looked up at a giant castle laid out before her. What is going on? Her head hurt quite a bit. She looked down where she had been laying.  
  
Broken bits of gold covered the ground, with little grains of sand. There was a small, thin, golden disk lying on the ground, which the girl picked up to examine. On one side there were small bits of glass attached to it, forming a circumference of a circle, and on the other side, engraved, where the two letters 'HG'. She thrust the little circle into the ground.  
  
She painfully pushed herself off the ground, and stood, a bit wobbly, and decided to walk up to the giant castle towering meters away from her. There might be people in there that could help.  
  
She was almost halfway there when someone came bustling out of the castle. The fairly old woman came running out, pulling her emerald green robe off the ground so that she didn't trip over it.  
  
"Miss?" The woman called. "Miss? Are you all right? What are you doing out here?" The old woman called out, and slowed her pace as she neared the girl. The woman tilted her face down, and peered over her square glasses at the peculiar sight of a bloody and ragged girl in front of her. Her stern face softened as she eyed the blood dried down the girl's face, and glistening in her hair. "Miss? Are you all right?" The woman repeated.  
  
The girl looked up, her eyes scrunched together with the throbbing pain of her head beginning to strike her more and more each second. "I - I don't know," The girl looked into the face of the woman, taking in every detail about her; Her brown and gray hair pulled up into a bun, her hard eyes with their square glasses, her thin mouth pursed together with the confusion of the moment, her robes' sleeves currently rolled up over her arms, and her hands still holding a few inches of her green robe from the ground. The girl could have sworn she knew that woman.  
  
I would bet a galleon I know that woman - she thought suddenly, but stopped herself. A galleon? The girl suddenly closed her eyes and pressed her hand to her head, as a wave of throbbing pain came surging through her head and body. She felt aching all over herself, and took in a rattling breath to steady herself. She thought again about the galleon. What was a galleon? She thought hard, but couldn't remember.  
  
With a start, she realized that she couldn't remember anything. All she could remember was that she was suddenly there, on the cool green grass in the middle of the night.  
  
"Miss, who are you?" The woman peered at her face, wondering if maybe a new student had come too early somehow. "Are you going to be enrolling at the school of Hogwarts?" The woman looked deep in thought. "You must be, right? Muggles can't get here and everyone else doesn't know where it is," The woman spoke quietly and mostly to herself. She looked back at the castle.  
  
The girl opened her eyes to look at the old woman staring at the castle before them. "I - I am really sorry miss, but I do not know what is going on, nor what you are talking about." Actually, though, she could just vaguely recognize the word 'Hogwarts'.  
  
The stern woman eyed the girl wearily, and finally said after a minute of searching looks, "Well, lets take you back to the castle then, and get you cleaned up at least." She grabbed her arm, and led her to the gigantic castle.  
  
She was led down and up and across a series of chambers, staircases, and hidden walls. It is almost like magic, the girl thought, looking around at the gigantic oil paintings moving around her, and the staircases turning beyond at the ends of corridors. Yeah, magic. She reached into her pocket, and pulled out a long stick. She turned it over in her hands, running her fingers up and down the wooden outside.  
  
"Ah! So you have a wand. I assume that is your wand," The woman took the stick from the girl, eyeing it. "And you are sure you do not know your name?" She gave back the wand, staring at the girl. The girl pocketed it.  
  
The girl stared at the wall, hoping it would tell her the answers. She thought back, tried so hard to remember, but it just didn't want to come out -  
  
"No, I haven't the slightest idea."  
  
"Well, we can at least just go ask Mr. Ollivander who he had sold this wand to. You did get your wand from England, didn't you?"  
  
"I really don't know, really," The girl sighed, looking at the woman. The woman let out a frustrated sigh.  
  
"Well, lets go see Dumbledore. Maybe he can help you," She led the girl up a series of even more steps. It felt like it had been at least two hours before they had gotten to a statue of a gargoyle. "Cockroach Clusters," she had mumbled. The gargoyle opened up to another flight of stairs.  
  
The girl followed the woman for a few more minutes until they had reached a door, a door that had a crest on in, a crest of... of Hogwarts...  
  
The girl stared at the crest, at the badger, lion, snake, and raven engraved upon it, the eight colors entwined over it -  
  
The woman knocked.  
  
"Come in, Minerva," Called a voice from behind the door with the crest.  
  
The two walked in to a circular like office. There was a reddish, golden fire like bird on a stand. The girl looked up at the bird, into one of its beady black eyes, which bore into the girl.  
  
"I see you brought the girl." A man stood up at his desk, a long, grayish beard floating down his front.  
  
"Yes, Albus. And," Minerva (Again, the girl was struck with familiarity) said, turning her gaze back to the girl. "She says that she does remember why she was out there, what she was doing, or, who she is,"  
  
"Do you think it was a memory charm?" The man named Albus Dumbledore stood up and looked the girl over. He directed his next question towards the girl. "Is it true, that you do not know who you are?"  
  
The girl nodded her head. "I can't remember anything!" She burst out, and Minerva jumped back at hearing the girl speak. "I don't know what's going on! I - I just was on the ground, out of nowhere, and there were only bits of gold and sand and then she came -" The girl pointed to the old woman in the emerald robes. "And I don't remember a thing! Nothing!" The girl rocked slightly where she stood, and gripped the back of a chair before she fell over. "I don't remember a thing..." The girl lifted her eyes slowly, and looked into the watery blue eyes of the old man standing before her. She felt her eyebrows helplessly furrowing, and her vision grew slightly blurry as her throat constricted.  
  
"This couldn't be a memory charm, to have erased her whole memory like that," The woman named Minerva brought up a chair with her stick and pushed the girl into it. Then she drew a chair for herself.  
  
They all sat there like that, thinking, for quite a long time.  
  
"Well," Albus Dumbledore said slowly, bringing his chin up from his hands. "There is a muggle ailment that could have something to do with this, I think it is called aminisha, or maybe ameasia, or something like that. It is caused by getting struck on the side of the head in a certain spot, and usually would have to be quite a blow to make one forget everything like that. She seems to still know how to do ordinary things, though." Dumbledore frowned. "Ameasia can't be fixed, I am afraid. The person usually remembers on their own, but in severe cases they may never regain their memory. I am afraid this kind of problem was overlooked when making antidotes for the infirmary, considering that it is a muggle ailment."  
  
"What's a muggle?" The girl asked suddenly. The two looked quite surprised at such a question in a place such as a castle for witches and wizards, but quickly remembered this girl really had forgotten everything.  
  
"They are non magic people." Minerva said.  
  
"Am I a muggle?" the girl turned her head slightly, eyeing the golden and reddish bird, that was sitting on a perch by Albus Dumbledore.  
  
"I wouldn't think so, Muggles can't get near this castle, for one reason or another."  
  
"Why is that?" The girl asked, looking up at the old man.  
  
So he answered, and she asked, and on and on they went, answering question after question for a few hours.  
  
"What are we going to do with her?" Minerva McGonagall whispered and suddenly looked over at Albus Dumbledore. They had all properly introduced themselves at this point. It seemed that hard questions came up after about three hundred quick ones, like the saying 'try, try, try, try, try, try, try again'.  
  
"Well, since she is here, and is undoubtedly a witch, she might as well stay here in some of her own quarters and have her take part in the lessons." Dumbledore rested his chin on his long, folded fingers.  
  
"Yes, but, wouldn't she have to start in the first year? Yes, there would be an age difference, I am sure you have realized." McGonagall lurched forward in her chair, sipping a cup of tea. "She would need to know all the basics, she has no money or supplies, except for her wand, and she doesn't even remember the basics the most of the first years know!"  
  
"Actually," She drew the attention of the two professors. "I think I do know some things," She drew out her wand, racked her empty brain, and managed to pick out some odd mumbo jumbo. She was about to say something when Dumbledore put his hand on the tip of her wand and pushed it down.  
  
"Maybe you should say what spell you are doing first, just in case you don't remember the particular results of the spell," The old man smiled at the girl, and let go of her wand. "Not that I don't trust your judgment, but I am afraid I don't particularly want to get warts that I would have to remove by the start of school right now."  
  
The girl nodded her head, and began to list off several incantations and there supposed effects. The professors nodded their heads.  
  
"How is it you know the incantation for repeating spells off of another's wand, the unforgivables, summoning charms, and more, but do not know your own name?" Minerva McGonagall turned in her chair and looked incredulously at the girl. The girl shied under such a hard and searching gaze.  
  
The girl shrugged. "They just kind of came to me, I guess."  
  
"Well," said Dumbledore, looking quite impressed. He smiled brightly, standing with his hands flat on his desk. "I think we should give her some tests to see about where she should fit in."  
  
~*~  
  
The girl had taken a number of tests, each given to her by the staff of Hogwarts, and, unbelievably, passed all of them. Passed with flying colors, more like.  
  
"Well, Miss, it looks like we won't be placing you in the first year," Dumbledore said with a chuckle. "My, my, these marks are very good. I would love to see what marks you got on an exam when you actually studied!"  
  
He handed the papers to the girl. She beamed.  
  
"We shall be placing you in the sixth year, as that is the level where all the spells and charms are that you have yet to learn. Most students in the sixth year are around the age of sixteen, so we will assume for now that you are sixteen, also." He looked out a round window.  
  
"How will I know when I will turn seventeen?" The girl asked suddenly, moment by moment realizing how many things were screwed up. Will I just turn seventeen once I get to the seventh year?" The girl tried to look the old man in the eye, but instead followed his gaze out the window. She had gone to the Hogwarts library, which, strangely, she found she knew the way to. She had tried to soak up as much information as she possibly could. Weird, though, she found that she already knew about most of the books, and what was in them. Especially one called 'Hogwarts, A History'.  
  
"Actually, I had thought about that. We decided that maybe we should use the date that you came here as your birthday," His eyes were twinkling behind his half moon spectacles. "Your new birthday. If ever you decide to remember your old one, do tell us about it." The girl started to count. She had been there for five days now, and tomorrow school would start- "It is the 26th of August." Dumbledore added, seeing her struggle to remember.  
  
There was a knock at Dumbledore's office. "Come in!" He called.  
  
Professor McGonagall stood at Headmaster Dumbledore's office.  
  
"I have a list of names, Albus," McGonagall walked into the room and conjured herself a chair. She set her wand down on Dumbledore's desk, and pulled a piece of parchment out of her pocket. The whole staff of Hogwarts were enjoying the lost student in their midst, and took it upon themselves to be the parents of the poor, lost soul. It seemed they all wanted to name her, too. The birthday idea came from Professors Sprout and McGonagall. In fact, the girl was enjoying this much more then the teachers. She had a feeling that this was the first time she was ever wanted, even though she could not remember her past. She had even heard Professor McGonagall in the halls telling someone that she would be the 'child of Hogwarts', silly as it seemed.  
  
"Here," McGonagall shoved the piece of parchment into Dumbledore's hands. He took it, and for the next few minutes sat reading it, sometimes making faces and occasionally smiling.  
  
"I wonder who wanted her name to be Minerva?" Dumbledore looked over his glasses and smiled at the girl, his eyes twinkling with laughter. "And I think I am right in assuming that these names are from Hagrid?" He pointed to names of exotic wild creatures, rearranged into names. "And these Latin ones, those must be Sicily's?" He ran his finger down the list. McGonagall and Dumbledore sat, each picking out a name, matching it with her face, and laughing.  
  
The girl sat quietly, sitting still, pulling a face whenever a name was mentioned that she didn't like. She got a bit bored, but then remembered this was her future, and if she wasn't here to make sure they got a good name, she could kiss it all goodbye. And plus they seemed to be really enjoying this.  
  
~*~  
  
"So, does she look like an Angelina to you?" The staff and the girl sat at the supper table, happily chatting away. Under normal circumstances she would've been utterly depressed over her circumstances, but it was kind of hard to think that way when you were sitting to dinner with what felt like 20 family members around you. It is also hard to think of a past that might be bad, and bring down this wonderful mood. It would be even worse to find out the past was better then this.  
  
"She looks like a Rara Avis, don't you think?" A woman with long black hair pointed down at a book she had brought down with her, showing pictures to the people around her  
  
"No, no, no. Just look at these ones,"  
  
"The name has to reflect the person, you know."  
  
Dumbledore chuckled and stood up. "As I am sure you all know, tomorrow is the first day of the new school year. Here are things we must all keep in mind: I just want to remind you about some of our problem students - we must try and help them, not repeatedly condemn them. There has been many a problem with this, you know. And I have had some complaints coming from the Slytherins. They feel they aren't being treated fairly.  
  
"The green house is often getting broken into, these past few years, and no house, let alone person, has come clean with this responsibility. House leaders, please, try and keep watch over your students. And if I find out about any more bias point removals, I may have to come up with a list of points which you can take away for certain behaviors. And I know how much you love to make your own points up, but, I am afraid the points have been becoming ridiculous lately, professors adding points to their own houses in good-natured rivalry, and it has to stop.  
  
"And, lastly for the moment, this years seventh year prank will be stopped! We haven't been having any luck in this area, and if we can't find out what the seventh years are going to do to the school this year and at least tone down the damage, then we may have to suspend all the seventh years that week of their graduation, which I do not want to do. I admit, when all the walls of the castle were turned into muggle televisions, and pink rats ran around the school like dust in an attic, it was quite an amusing sight, but I would rather it not happen again. Unless you would all like to be cleaning it up again this year?" At this the staff groaned as thoughts of cleaning up pink rat guts and pink rats from every inch of the castle ran through their heads. Dumbledore stopped a moment to take a drink, and continued.  
  
"Also, we have narrowed down some names," Dumbledore spoke a bit more relaxed, and sat down. "I think that we should leave it up her to choose, though, since it is her name," Everyone turned down to the girl. Her brownish, bushy hair covered her face, to hide her blush. Only it's not as bushy as it was, she immediately thought. Though how she knew that was beyond her.  
  
She took the list though, and looked it over. And over, and over. She couldn't help but get distracted now and then by the professor's chat.  
  
"... And so he goes out into the public, and accidentally lights a muggle on fire! I invited Mrs. Granger into the shop, of course-"  
  
The girl looked up suddenly, the now familiar feeling of familiarity running through her mind again."Granger?" The girl looked up, to her surprise as well as the others'. "Did you say... Granger?" The girl said, looking up to the professor whom she had heard talking.  
  
The professor nodded his head, and continued looking strangely at the girl. "I - I - I know that name," She put the list of names down and rubbed her temples. I have to remember, I have to remember! She thought, staring a hole into the table.  
  
"You alright, miss?" A Professor said, and she just moved her hand.  
  
"I remember that name from somewhere." She squeezed her head, hoping to press the information out.  
  
"Very well, then, maybe your surname should be Granger. Then - Lydia Granger," McGonagall looked at the girl, a thoughtful look crossing her face. "Hmm, Lydia Granger." Everyone sat thinking it over. They then found themselves staring at the girl.  
  
Realizing the spot light was on her, she sat and contemplated the name. It did have an odd ring to it...  
  
"I like it," The girl looked up into the eyes of the Professors. But it doesn't have enough syllables, said a voice in the back of her head. It needs some more syllables to be right! She shook the voices out. "I like it!"/p  
  
~*~  
  
Lydia Minerva Granger made her way up to the Great Hall, waiting impatiently for the Hogwarts Express to arrive. She was going to be sorted with the first years; Dumbledore had insisted that she be treated like any normal student. Not that she was so far from normal anyway.  
  
Lydia was very exited, to say in the least. She was going to be taught magic in the sixth year at Hogwarts, and all of the professors had agreed to keep her memory loss a secret along with everything else about her that they could, besides the fact that all the school would know that a sixth year girl would be coming in the middle of the year and being sorted. That might just be a little out of the ordinary.  
  
There was a sudden hustle and wave of noise that she had never heard before, or maybe she had. (but never mind that) The noise was becoming greater and greater. Hundreds of students were making their way towards the great hall. Tons of them. A wave that she had never seen before or maybe she had, but - oh well. She took a seat in McGonagalls chair, supposedly warming it for her while she fetched the first years Hagrid had managed to round up.  
  
Of course, the students were all very curious about this student. They kept pointing and wondering who she was, and why she was sitting in the Professors seats. Most didn't care, or cared because of other reasons. She let her rather bushy- though not as bushy as it had been before! (Her mind was quite keen on letting her know this) fall over her face to keep her hidden.  
  
~*~  
  
"Hey! Who is that? Look at that girl, over there," A boy of sixteen sat down on an empty seat at the Gryffindor table.  
  
"Yah, check out that nice b-" Another boy with black hair was just elbowed by his best friend, another young man with unruly black hair and glasses.  
  
"She is probably one of the Professors daughter or niece, or something," A fairly round boy sat down across from the trio.  
  
"Hullo, Peter," The boy with the glasses threw something at Peter. "Yah, we best not try anything funny with one of the Professors relatives. I can just imagine, 'Oh Aunt Minerva! That Sirius Black tried to seduce me!'" Sirius turned around and smacked the boy upside the head, then tried to reach toward the light blonde boy who was working himself into hysterics.  
  
"That's not very nice, James," Sirius turned toward James with a malicious smile. "You're only jealous because of my roguishly handsome looks, and the fact that I would be able to pull off a stunt like that," The blondish boy was laughing himself hoarse now. "And don't think that your so safe, Remus,"  
  
"Sure, Sirius, I can almost see her falling into your arms crying, 'Oh Sirius Black! You are sooo handsome!" Peter looked up to Sirius, who was about to say something about how Peter had just admitted that Sirius was handsome. "Almost," he added.  
  
The four boys began laughing themselves hoarse some more, before McGonagall came in with a hurdled bunch of wind lashed first years.  
  
~*~  
  
Finally, McGonagall was coming in with the first years. It felt like she had been on a stage in a cage labeled 'DON'T LOOK'. It was pretty disturbing. She sat, listening to the conversations of the four cute boys- No! a voice piped up among her tangled thoughts. Don't think that! That just isn't right! And she had a feeling it wasn't, but just couldn't make out why.  
  
Lydia watched the somehow familiar scene of McGonagall placing a ragged old hat atop a stool in front of the whole great hall. All the first years were looking nervous, but they couldn't compare to Lydia. They at least were among other first years. She was all alone, memory-less and friend-less, and everyone her supposed age were all sitting comfortably at their tables enjoying the look of the frightened first years.  
  
The old frayed hat suddenly began to sing, to the surprise of the first years and Lydia.  
  
Long before you were born, A bit before I was me, There lived four wizards that had sworn, To create the school that you now see. The four wizards wished to teach Among the little wizards and the rest, The ones that had each Of the virtues they thought best. Among the throng the intelligent Ravenclaw did seek out, While the bravest and bold Gryffindor Thought were best without a doubt. Hufflepuff chose those who Worked harder then their brothers, And last but not least, it's true That Slytherin chose the determined And strong over all the others. Slytherin, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw Decided after they were gone and dead, That Gryffindor's hat would choose instead. They picked me up, and waved a wand, And now I'll give you a test And tell you where to go among the rest!  
  
Everyone clapped, along with Lydia, though she couldn't understand the odd feeling in her head. She turned to the Professor to her right and said quietly,  
  
"Does that hat sing a different song every year?" She turned to him, and he nodded. "Odd," She murmured. She could have sworn...  
  
Nevertheless, she sat between the staff which by now had accumulated to the seats reserved for them. McGonagall stood up, calling names of the first years to come and try the hat on. Every time the hat shouted out a name, one of the four huge tables would cheer, and the student woulld either strut over there, or walk as though they had just had a bad bout of the flu.  
  
Finally, the sorting of the first years was over, and all turned to their empty plates and goblets expectantly.  
  
"Ahem." Dumbledore caught the attention of the whole Great Hall. "As you might have noticed, we have another new student to sort, Lydia Granger, though she will be joining in the studies of the sixth year students." The students began to chatter quietly, the whispers sounded as if it were a wave flowing over the students, filling her ears, and undoubtedly carrying itself over the forbidden forest, rustling up the undisturbed trees and the surface of the calm lake.  
  
"She is an exchange student here to Hogwarts, and we do hope you welcome her with open arms." Dumbledore motioned for Lydia to make her way to the sorting hat now, and Professor McGonagall smiled slightly as she made her way back to the staff table.  
  
Lydia blushed silently as she made her way over to the stool, an uneasy quietness falling over the Great Hall. Lydia didn't notice, she was too busy thinking of all the worst things that could happen. She wouldn't know, either, that a few certain people were hoping she was in their house. Almost all the girls in each of the sixth year houses were by their selves, and hoped that she would be in their house. She also didn't notice when Sirius hissed a yes and mouthed to James, 'She's in our year!'  
  
She wanted to be in Gryffindor, it by far sounded the best, and McGonagall was head of that house and wanted very much for her to be in her house. Professor Sicily wanted her to be in Slytherin, for it was the most ambitious, and someone like her could help gain them a good reputation. Ravenclaw also sounded like a good house, for it had the more bookish, quiet, intelligent people in it, and Lydia found that she would probably be most at home in there. All these thoughts rushed through Lydia's head as she took the five-second walk up to the stool. She sat down, gently laying the hat on top of her head. It easily covered her ears and her eyes.  
  
So... little girl... you have a courageous heart and an intelligent mind, and a streak of pride, and you will do almost anything you have too to get what you want... You could fit easily into any of these houses... But, wait! What is this?  
  
Lydia felt her eyes widen, and she asked the hat mentally, 'What?'  
  
You have already been sorted before, I can see by searching your mind, but you can't see that, can you?  
  
Lydia listened bluntly to the talk of the old hat in her head. 'I don't know what you're talking about!' Lydia mentally told it. 'Just please! Sort me quick, I don't wish to sit here all day with you going over information in my head while everyone stares at me,'  
  
Well... alright... you were already placed in Gryffindor, and if that isn't enough proof that that is where you belong, then fine, I shall place you once more (though I don't ever remember placing you the first time... odd) in GRYFFINDOR!  
  
The hat seemed to know everything that went on in her mind, including the things that she did not know herself. It screamed that last bit out loud, loud enough for the giant squid to hear, she was sure of it. A deafening applause arose from a table to the side, and she got up quickly, making sure to leave that hat behind - it was confusing her. Well, either way, she was a Gryffindor. She looked up to see Professor McGonagall beaming at her, and Dumbledore with a bit more twinkle in his eye then usual.  
  
She scanned the table for an empty seat, and her eyes lingered on the four boys who she had been eavesdropping on earlier. The Sirius one smiled, shoved Remus off his chair, stood up and bowed.  
  
"Feel free to take this seat, Madame!" He said with a grin.  
  
She couldn't help but laugh at the sight that met her eyes. Remus got up off the floor, and took his chair from Sirius.  
  
"It's my chair, at least let me offer it to her." He uttered. She laughed again and sat down and pushed herself in.  
  
"Um, thank you, I guess," Lydia stuttered, feeling a bit awkward sitting there.  
  
Remus pushed Peter a seat over and sat down next to her. The only one that seemed to be acting anywhere near normal was James.  
  
"Hello, my name is James Potter," He extended his hand over the table and shook.  
  
"Lydia Minerva Granger," She said, shaking James Potter's hand, and then pulled hers back.  
  
The boys all suddenly looked a bit sullen.  
  
"Did you say Minerva?" Sirius said suddenly, his face ashen.  
  
"As in Minerva McGonagall?" Remus clarified, turning in his chair to gape at her.  
  
"Er, yes, is that bad?" She looked over their horror struck faces. Well, nice start at attempting friendly conversation, she said to herself.  
  
"If you don't mind me asking, just how are you related to her?" Remus cocked his head just a bit, looking a bit frightened.  
  
Lydia stopped and turned to look at the rest of them, to see if they were all still freaked. They were. "I'm not, actually. I was just named after her, is all." They instantly relaxed. "What, you afraid of her?" She smiled suddenly, remembering the conversation they had been having earlier.  
  
"Oh, thank god," Sirius breathed out a long sigh. Then, as an after thought, he added, "No, I am not afraid of Professor McGonagall," James grinned at Sirius' attempt to save himself, and opened his mouth to say something, but Dumbledore stood up suddenly and gestured for quiet.  
  
"Of course, The Forbidden Forest is forbidden for a reason, to all students, as well as Hogsmeade to all below the third year and any above who didn't turn in permission slips," He waved his hand out. "So, now that this old wind bag has had his say, eat!"  
  
Lydia peered out across the table as food magically appeared all over on beautifully shined silver platters. "Ohh," she muttered distractedly, reaching over to grab a platter of delicious looking potatoes. "I am going to gain at least five pounds tonight," She murmured, though it felt odd to say it. She looked at all the food and thought about eating every single piece that there was to be eaten, and didn't expect the laughter that followed her comment.  
  
"Spoken like a true woman," Remus patted her shoulder, and then immediately removed his hand, and looked at Lydia, who turned to face him, and he said sheepishly, "Sorry, habit."  
  
"Typical girl thing to say," Sirius shook his head sadly. "And I was thinking you would be perfect,"  
  
"Well, you're quick to jump to conclusions!" She looked at Sirius, shocked. He seemed so... vulgar... He was now smiling sheepishly, still holding eye contact with her. She was getting a bad feeling concerning him. Along with the fat quiet one.  
  
"Well, that's Sirius for ya." James ducked, barely avoiding a handprint on his face.  
  
After a few minutes she felt natural sitting there, listening to the boys talk Quidditch. Lydia hadn't thought that people could become friends so quickly. What she thought would have taken at least a month or two to develop was blossoming right in front of her eyes.  
  
At least you're being accepted, thought a little voice in the back of her head. Of course, there was always the fact that she was a girl, and Sirius' lingering eyes pretty much concluded that thought.  
  
She laughed to herself and finished eating in silence. Well, silence for a few seconds.  
  
~*~  
  
"Damn, and she would have been interesting to have here, too." A tall boy on the other side of the Great Hall snapped his fingers.  
  
"Interesting? Snape, you were drooling." The boy shot a loathing glance at the one next to him.  
  
"I did no such thing, Malfoy. I am not as tempted by a pair of breasts as you are." They attempted to shoot daggers at each other for a few fair minutes before they decided to eat instead.  
  
"Yes, breasts are nice. And legs. And I've had all these... girls already. I am bored." He sighed and grabbed his fork. "Okay, I have to admit, if she was sorted into Slytherin I would have jumped for her, pushed you out of your seat and given it to her. But that didn't happen, did it?" Lucius flicked a stray pea towards some dumb first year who had been batting her eyelashes at him for the past hour. Or at least he thought it was a 'her'.  
  
~*~  
  
Lydia ran up to McGonagall after the feast, and McGonagall beamed once more.  
  
"I knew you were going to be in Gryffindor," She looked down admiringly. "I have a few things for you at my office, so please come with me."  
  
They both went through another series of stairs until they came to a door in the middle of the hallway.  
  
"No one has responded to the article about your parents, and no one has called for any missing children. But, it seems that many people have taken quite a liking to you already." McGonagall pulled a large box out from under her desk. "Some people have sent things for you in the year, plus things we managed to get you. Ahh, here, several rolls of parchment, a couple of very nice quills, some bottles of ink- and, oh, I had better keep this-" She took something out of the box and stuffed it into her drawer before Lydia could see it. "And any books that you need. Alright, now I shall take you to the Gryffindor common room, where you shall be living for the rest of the year."  
  
The pair made their way to the Gryffindor common room, and McGonagall gave her the password (lions den) and gave her away to the madness of the common room. Everyone wanted to ask where she had come from, but she just told him or her all that she could not say. She sat down in a chair in the corner of the room, after about an hour of Sirius, Remus, James and Peter showing her to everyone. She was quite exhausted. When she finally had a moment to herself, she found an out-of-the-way chair (she was drawn to it, for some reason) and admired her new supplies and books.  
  
"So, I think that it is time for bed, don't want to be late for our first day of lessons!" The head boy stood up, and motioned everyone to go up to the dormitories. Lydia went up the girls stairs, listening to everyone grumbling, and made her way to the second door.  
  
"Hey, that is the third years dormitory!" Lydia spun around to see a red haired girl with bright green eyes staring at her. "The sixth year ones are down there," She pointed three doors to the left. Lydia looked up and saw the sign on the door that said third years on it. Why on Earth had she tried to go in there?  
  
"Er, thanks." She scooted down two doors and opened up her dormitory. She saw her trunk lying at the edge of a bed, and sat down gratefully on the soft mattress.  
  
The girl with the red hair came in, her bed right next to Lydia's, and stuck out her hand.  
  
"My name is Lilith Evans." Lydia reached out and shook. She had the feeling that Lilith was someone who was hard to impress.  
  
"Lydia Granger,"  
  
There was an awkward silence as Lilith went to pull something out of her trunk.  
  
"You can call me Lily if you like. I like that better." The girl stood straight up and smiled at Lydia.  
  
Lydia thought for a moment. "I don't think there is a way to shorten my name, sorry." She shook her head.  
  
Lily laughed. "I could call you lid, if you really want," She made a face.  
  
"How bout not?" Lydia said, miserably failing at trying to keep a straight face.  
  
"Alrighty, then." Lily said, and got onto her bed.  
  
Lydia fell asleep with a small smile on her face. It looked as though she had made quite a few new friends. At least one of them had to last.  
  
~*~  
  
Yes! I am done re-vamping everything! After the Fifth book... I realized I had a lot of character de-development to do, so I am going through, trying to right my wrongs without killing the story. Good so far, you think?  
  
How was that? That was hard to do, I didn't know how the marauders and co acted when they were little, so I don't have much to go by. Of course, that means they are less likely to be out of character, right? So, review!  
  
I had some people asking about the part where Hermione's little voices are telling her that the name 'Lydia' is not right because it doesn't have enough syllables. The people that asked said this was wrong, because on the movie it said Hermione like 'Her-my-knee' and that is three syllables, and Lydia is 'Lid-ee-ah' three syllables. But, that is wrong, my friends, because it specifically says in the book - yes, the real, certified, honest- to-god book, Harry Potter, (specifically the fourth one, when Hermione was trying to teach Krum to say her name right) The book says that her name is correctly pronounced 'Her-my-own-knee' And since Harry Potter is a hell of a lot better as a book, and that's all I go by, that is how her name goes, and that's that. Juuuuust clarifyin' it a bit. Not meant to offend, in case it did.  
  
~*~ Mae Noelle 


	4. Chapter 3

Messing With History  
  
By Mae Noelle  
  
~*~  
  
Disclaimer: *sigh* Is this really necessary? Alright, see my stuff? Neither do I. I think you get it, right? Am I right?  
  
This stuff is just flowing out of me. I have been sitting here on the computer lazing about and haven't done a thing. I am already on the third chapter and there are no reviews, cause my story hasn't even been posted to the public yet. Wow.  
  
P.S. If you haven't noticed already, this is in the past. (Not insulting your intelligence, but maybe someone out there over looked that fact)  
  
This story is mostly from Hermione's point of view, ok?  
  
~*~  
  
Ch. 3 - Marauders  
  
~*~  
  
Lydia awoke around four o'clock in the morning.  
  
"Uhhhg," She rolled over and managed to steady herself on two wobbly legs.  
  
"Go back to bed," She heard a mutter come from the other side of the room. It was probably Lily.  
  
"I can't," She mumbled back. Lydia got all of her books together and made her way down to the common room, fully decked out in a long, swift black robe. Courtesy of McGonagall.  
  
She pulled out one her books and sat down on a particularly large chair by the fire. She might as well do something useful with her time. After a few pages she realized she didn't know what she was reading. She couldn't really get into the books.  
  
After a while, there was a loud crashing noise coming down from the boys stairs.  
  
"That HURT, James!" Sirius got up from the position he had landed in - face down at the bottom of the stairs.  
  
"Yah, but you deserved it," Remus came down yawning. "Great. Classes. I bet we get everything with Slytherins,"  
  
"Don't even say that." Peter waltzed down the stairs, jumping over Sirius. "Maybe, just maybe, we won't have them for anything." His eyes glazed over. "Maybe,"  
  
"You wish." Sirius said. "Me, I think I am looking forward to it!" And his eyes sort of glazed over. "Imagine the havoc we can wreak!" James nodded with him, and they gave each other looks of understanding as they grinned.  
  
"What's wrong with the Slytherins?" Lydia looked up from her book, The Standard Book Of Spells, Grade six, to the now four boys piled in the corner of the common room. She knew that the Slytherins were known for turning out more dark wizards then any other house, but they couldn't all be that bad. The four boys all threw her disgusted looks.  
  
"We are only going to forgive you for that because you are new," Peter stood up shaking his head. "Honestly. James, tell her something."  
  
For some reason she didn't like being told that by that porky boy.  
  
"This is going to be fun!" Sirius rubbed his hands together. "We get to convince her to hate Slytherins! Not that that is going to be hard, mind you,"  
  
"Were should we start? Wait- would we need to tell her about-" James swiveled his head towards Remus. Soon all eyes were on him.  
  
"Well, you see, Remus here has this condition, and well, there is also this damn slimy git, Severus Snape, everything you could cram into a Slytherin running through his veins, who keeps sneaking about trying to figure out what it is, and never misses a chance to sneer in our faces." Sirius put on a helpless look. "And he does it for absolutely no reason! Rude, stupid, slimy git."  
  
Lydia, not listening to Sirius' rambling anymore, got a picture of a man in her head, afraid of the moon.  
  
She gasped.  
  
"He's a werewolf," she half whispered, looking at Remus, who paled at her words.  
  
Remus, completely shocked, sat down heavily. Both Sirius and James gasped, mouths reaching almost to the ground. Peter shook his head.  
  
"And I thought we were fast in catching on. Her first day, and she already knows." James shook his head.  
  
"Actually, I think I already knew," Lydia began slowly, closing her eyes. She dared the pictures that had entered her mind to come back. Lupin. "because of my past, or maybe my future, or something like that, oh, I just know, I don't know how, sorry Professor Lupin," Immediately she slapped a hand over her mouth, and tried to understand why she had just said that.  
  
James and Sirius looked at her, their eyebrows furrowed, and James mouthed, "Professor?"  
  
Remus Lupin looked up, now confused beyond confusion. "I don't remember telling you my surname," Lydia stared out into the window, wishing she had stayed in bed.  
  
"Maybe she is psychic," Sirius looked up at her, and immediately reddened. "Or maybe a mind reader."  
  
"No! I swear, just, please, I promise I won't tell or anything, I know you don't want anyone knowing about it." Remus looked back up, calculating. He nodded his head, giving her an odd look. This was just getting to confusing.  
  
"Should we get back to insulting Snape?" Peter looked up with a hopeful twinkle in his eye.  
  
James smiled maliciously. "He is also quite jealous of my talent on the Quidditch field, you know, always has a sour look on his face, is a grease ball, and-"  
  
"And he uses every excuse possible to try and get us expelled," Sirius yelled, balling his fists and staring at the wall as if it were Snape himself.  
  
And so passed by at least an hour of a heated one-sided debate.  
  
"So who do you hate?"  
  
"The Slytherins, especially that dimwit blonde Lucius Malfoy and that grease ball Severus Snape," Lydia closed her eyes momentarily. Snape. the faint whisper of her memories began talking again.  
  
Lydia opened her eyes and focused on the window, and a slight haze fell over her eyes as they fell out of focus, and then became lost in her thoughts. The grease ball Snape who is always trying to get us in trouble, and calls me a know-it-all, like Malfoy. The whispers of her mind spoke of her own memories, but as the conversation was of these Snape the greasy git and a Malfoy, she did not realize that her mind was thinking of a different Malfoy and a different Snape. Well, she could vaguely understand, but she just gave up.  
  
"Shall we go down to breakfast now? I think cramming all that stuff into her head made me hungry," James said, rubbing his stomach and pointing to the entryway.  
  
So the five walked down to the great hall.  
  
"What do we have first?" James sat down, passing around schedules. "Damn it! look, we have potions with the Slytherins - do the Gryffindors always have potions with the Slytherins? Is this just me? Is this a conspiracy?"  
  
"Let me see your schedule, Remus, I think I have this a different day then you," Sirius and Remus exchanged schedules.  
  
Lydia looked down her schedule. Tuesday, Transfiguration, Herbology, Defense Against the Dark Arts. Wednesday, Ancient Runes, Arithmancy. Thursday, Care of Magical Creatures, Potions, Astronomy. Friday, Charms, History of Magic. And so much more. She sighed.  
  
"Can anybody show me where these rooms are?" Lydia sighed again, holding up her schedule. James looked up.  
  
"Lemme see your schedule," His eyes scanned it, Remus peering at is over his shoulder. "Well, I have most of these classes with you, except for most of Wednesday's lessons and Mondays."  
  
Sirius snatched the schedule "I have almost the same exact schedule as James, but I have some of Mondays lessons with you," He looked up Wednesday. "Sorry, but I don't even know where the Ancient Runes and Arithmancy rooms are."  
  
"I have those on Wednesday," Said a voice behind her. Lydia peered over. It was Lily.  
  
"You do?"  
  
"Yep, same time and everything. I can show you were those rooms are, if you'd like." She smiled nicely.  
  
"I would really appreciate that, actually, thanks." Lydia motioned to an empty seat next to her. "Wanna sit?"  
  
Lily nodded her head and dropped her bags to the side. James waved at her. Lydia looked at James, who was eyeing Lily oddly, and Lydia could almost feel something coming to her.  
  
"Hi, Lily." Lily muttered something and poked around something on her plate.  
  
"So where are you from?" Lydia decided to try and make conversation with Lily, and brake the horrible silence.  
  
"Er, well, I come from a muggle family down somewhere, I don't know where exactly we are now so it is kind of hard to say,"  
  
Lydia looked up at Lily. She was of muggle parentage? Doesn't that mean she is, she is- a - a Mudblood? No, no, that is not a good word for it. She wondered to herself where she had gotten that word from.  
  
They all got up from the table, preparing to go to their first lesson. Lydia walked toward the entrance, and turned to see if James was coming- he had to show her to her classes. She turned back to the front and ran right into -  
  
Malfoy. She shook her head.  
  
"Why, hello, Granger," A blonde boy, hair slicked back, smirking is a very uncanny way. He sneered at James, holding out Lydia's bag she had accidentally dropped. She snatched it back. Lily appeared behind Lydia, glaring at Malfoy. Yes, a voice in her head said. That is definitely a Malfoy.  
  
"Watch where you're going next time." He sneered once more, and turned to look at Lily. "What are you looking at, mudblood?" Lily gaped, and clutched her wand. He had hissed that quietly enough, but all the boys surrounding looked like he had hollered it, and James had his wand out, ready to strike.  
  
But Lydia raised her hand before any wands were halfway drawn, and she struck him across his face. "Watch it, Malfoy, I don't want to have to smack that sneer off your face again," Lydia hissed. "Damn son of a Death Eater." She turned to walk around him, smirking at the look on his face. She had gotten out of the Great Hall, and soon Sirius, James, Remus, Peter and Lily had caught up with her.  
  
She kept walking, an odd feeling of de jà vous floating in her head, and she wondered why she had done that without even a second thought. Instinct.  
  
"Wow! If that's what an hour of teaching does to her, we should have that talk every night." Sirius clapped her back, causing her to lurch forward slightly. "I am proud of you!"  
  
"What was that about?" James laughed slightly. "Not that I'm complaining.I know this is only the first day, but that didn't seem normal for you," He said, an airy-fairy light to his voice. "Ah, but what I would give to have had a photo of that look on his face! I would keep it forever," His gaze was unfocused, and Lydia felt a sudden overwhelming multiple de jà vous.  
  
Lydia shook her head. It was just to confusing. "Have I smacked Malfoy before?" She asked, remembering the feeling of repeating history she got when she was busy smacking the smirk off of his face.  
  
"You've only been here for two days," Remus looked a bit worriedly at Lydia. "Are you sure you didn't get conked on the head or something in the past week?"  
  
But Lydia didn't answer. She was falling back, lost in thought, eyes rolled back into her head. Lily gasped from the side, and watched as Lydia just slumped down - right back into Sirius.  
  
~*~  
  
Draco Malfoy. I had smacked him. No, that was Lucius Malfoy. Voices were arguing avidly in her unaware mind.  
  
Lydia woke with a start, wondering why she was not in class. She opened her eyes. Dumbledore was sitting in a chair, watching her most intently. She looked around and saw James, Sirius, Remus, Peter and Lily standing at the side of her bed.  
  
"You fainted, and gave us quite a scare, there, Miss Granger." Ahh, Miss Granger, that sounded so familiar, "You were mumbling when you were unconscious. Do the words 'Harry' and 'Ron' ring a bell?"  
  
Lydia listened to Dumbledore for a second, then looked up at him. She wanted to say yes, that they did remind her very much of something, but she could not say what.  
  
"Draco Malfoy!" She said suddenly. Everyone turned to her.  
  
Miss Pomfrey shook her head at Lydia. "Sorry, dearie, but there is no one by that name."  
  
"Do you mean Lucius Malfoy?" Lily pushed her way to where Lydia was sitting up.  
  
"No. I remember that name. Draco Malfoy," She whispered that name like it was a curse word, uttering it as though it would cause certain death to the speaker.  
  
She suddenly looked up. "Is there a Professor Snape here?" She wasn't sure if that name was a dream or real.  
  
Dumbledore shook his head. "Only Severus Snape."  
  
This was proving to be most confusing.  
  
"I think that you should all run to class now, I need a word alone with Miss Granger." They all left, grumbling, especially Miss Pomfrey.  
  
"Lydia, I think that you might be remembering something. Everything that you are remembering seem to be things that either haven't happened yet, or never did, I'm afraid." His eyes clouded over for a few moments. "I don't think you would want to miss your first day of lessons, but if you feel you need to faint again, feel free to skip them." He led Lydia out of the room. She had insisted she was fine.  
  
"Your first class?" Dumbledore stopped outside the door, waiting for her response.  
  
"Transfiguration."  
  
"Ahh, Minerva's subject. Well, lets be on our way,"  
  
"Professor Dumbledore, sir?" Lydia asked suddenly, while walking down the corridor.  
  
"Yes, Miss Granger?" Dumbledore turned his head and tilted it down, so that he was looking at Lydia over his half-moon spectacles.  
  
"Do you have Christmas Balls here at the school?" Lydia thought back to her little dream state she had had back in the infirmary, and went over the weird ideas that had come floating through her head. One that she remembered vividly was waltzing amongst dim lights, with Christmas trees and laughing people around her.  
  
"No, we don't," He said slowly. "Why is it that you ask?"  
  
Lydia shrugged her shoulders, and put her hands in her pockets. "Well, I almost remember dancing at Christmas, and I was kind of hoping that you had a ball here at Christmas time, too."  
  
Dumbledore turned and looked at her thoughtfully, before turning down a hall that led to the transfiguration room. "Why, that does sound like an interesting idea, doesn't it? I think that I would like to see if we can change the Christmas time schedule to include a Ball this year,"  
  
This time Lydia turned to look up at him. "Really?" She said, shocked that he could just waver the schools happenings like that.  
  
"Of course, why else would I say such a thing?" He stopped at a door, and motioned for Lydia to go inside it. "Have a nice day, Miss Granger,"  
  
~*~  
  
Transfiguration, McGonagalls subject. Lydia found herself to be really good at it. In fact, she was excelling at every subject. She just soaked up information, and everyone just assumed that she came to the lessons to confirm it. In fact, the only trouble she seemed to be having lay with Severus and Lucius. It was true, they never missed a chance to sneer in her face or shove her over in the dark halls.  
  
"Damn that Snape!" Cursed Lydia, picking her bag up off the floor, and glaring at Snape as he smirked to himself walking down the hall. That was the twelfth time this week. Where was Sirius or James when you needed him? Off, probably flirting some poor girl insane. She just wanted to strangle him sometimes.  
  
It had only been a couple months, but they flew by like a couple days and felt like years. The four marauders, (as they called themselves, for reasons only God knew) and Lily were now her closest friends. Lily felt like a sister to her (not that she had one to compare the feeling with), and the marauders, well, like overly hormonal brothers.  
  
She couldn't help but try and push Lily and James together - in her head this seemed like a good idea, though Lily would silently protest. Lily didn't really like the marauders, except for Remus (everyone liked Remus).  
  
She was just thinking about how sorry she felt for that poor wolf boy when she was knocked over by Severus or Lucius, it seemed, who had come back for a second run in. She brought her hands out in front of her right before she was about to hit the ground.  
  
Face flushed with anger, she reached out and grabbed the ankle of the person who had knocked her down, then jumped over her. She gave a sharp jerk backwards, and the person, who was lifting his other foot to walk away, fell flat on his face.  
  
Obviously his reaction time was not as good as hers was, because there was a sickening sound as his face collided with the floor.  
  
She got up, brushed herself off, grabbed her bag, and walked past the flat person. A crowd was gathering around the two. Lydia kicked the person's side, to see who it was. Severus.  
  
"Don't you dare try that on me again, Snape," She smirked. "Looks like I don't have to smack you though, the floor had the courtesy of doing it for me." She walked up and easily dodged the poorly aimed curses that came flying at her.  
  
~*~  
  
"So? You think that we should go exploring tonight?" Sirius spoke quickly and excitedly.  
  
"Of course! You crazy? Besides, I think that I found another secret passage out of Hogwarts-"  
  
"Can I come?" Lydia looked up at the four marauders; sitting huddled closely together, as to block any information from leaking out.  
  
They all looked at each other. Sirius muttered something in James' ear, and they both smiled. It was a scary smile. James looked over Lydia with a narrowed gaze. "Yah, I think you and Lily can come on this outing,"  
  
Lily, who had been sitting somewhere off to the side reading, suddenly perked up. "What about me?"  
  
"You wanna come on an exploration?" James asked Lily, his fingers crossed behind his back.  
  
Lily looked at Lydia, who shrugged. Lily gave Lydia a long suffering look, and after Lydia began begging with her eyes, Lily sighed and said, "Alright. But nothing that will end up with us expelled, not right now, I think McGonagall is just beginning to trust you guys again."  
  
~*~  
  
It was about ten o'clock, and six people quietly slipped out of the Gryffindor common room. James was making sure to stay extra close to Lily, and kept grinning.  
  
"Are you sure it is this way?" Sirius hissed to Remus.  
  
"Yes, I heard someone in the candy shop talking about finding it here, I know it..."  
  
"Be quiet! You guys are going to wake up the whole castle!" Lily hissed, adding something else to James in his ear.  
  
They were walking quietly along a particularly long hallway. They passed old statues, and many paintings, most of the people in which were sleeping. Suddenly they rounded a corner, and into sight came an old witch statue.  
  
"Hey, is there a secret passage in there?" She whispered, pointing to the statue. Her thoughts were wondering on about why she would think that, but she did, so...  
  
"No, why?" Sirius turned to face Lydia.  
  
"Dunno." They were soon passing the statue.  
  
"The entrance to the tunnel should be somewhere over here," Remus led them up the hall, but they all stopped when they realized that Lydia wasn't with them.  
  
"Where the h-" James turned around with the rest of them, seeing Lydia touching the statue, her eyes closed. "Lydia!" He hissed. "Lydia! Come on!"  
  
Her eyes flicked open and she mouthed 'be quiet'. Her eyes closed quickly again. Lydia began mouthing something, and drew her wand.  
  
The marauders and Lily walked quickly over to where she was standing.  
  
"What are you doing?" Remus tapped her on the shoulder. "Come on! Do you want to get caught?"  
  
"Be quiet! There is a passage here," She closed her eyes again, flicked them open, and whispered. "Dissendium!"  
  
The old witch statues hump had opened up, and a hole big enough to just barely fit Peter was revealed. They all stood there, studying it.  
  
Sirius gaped. "That's not fair!"  
  
"How'd you know that?" Breathed Remus.  
  
"I had to go down here once to get Harry's invisibility cloak for him," She answered, without thinking.  
  
"Who's Harry?" James asked. Lydia shook her head.  
  
"Dunno," Lydia said slowly, turning to them. "That just came out of my mouth, I wasn't even planning to say that," She leaned against the wall, flustered.  
  
Lily's eyes were bright. "I love the name 'Harry'," She said warmly, folding her arms. "I want to name my son that," She had a glazed over kind of look.  
  
"Well, we might as well go down and explore it, now that it's been found," Sirius hopped into the hole. "Let's go!" He said, before propelling himself down the slightly slopped tunnel.  
  
"Wow! I have to hand it to you, Lydia, we weren't expecting you to be any help, let alone find us another escape route." James said, a look of approval on his face.  
  
"Yah. I think we have enough routes to make our map, James,"  
  
"Huh?" Lydia looked over at Remus. "The Marauders Map?" She said, again, without thinking.  
  
"Yah! How do you know?" Remus gave her another look. "Or is it one of those 'memories' again?"  
  
"You know, I think she is psychic. All of the things she remembers haven't happened yet! Pretty weird, don't you think? Remembering your future?" Sirius laughed again. Down under Hogwarts you really don't have to be worried about being too loud.  
  
"So tell me about this map," Lily said, mainly to Remus, but James popped up at her side and began to speak.  
  
"Well, we are going to put every single one of our passages we have found out of the castle on it, including a full map of Hogwarts itself." Remus came up next to James and Lydia.  
  
"Oh, and here is the genius part, my part, of course." Sirius slid in- between Remus and Lydia. "We are going to try and enchant it so that it showed every single person on the map, and wherever they are on the Hogwarts grounds, they shall be on the map. With their names printed next to them. Nothing can fool it, like hiding under invisibility cloaks, or even polyjuice potions."  
  
"And, of course, to make sure it didn't fall into the wrong hands, we are going to make it go blank, and have some secret thing that you have to do with your wand to make the map show itself," Peter piped in.  
  
"Of course, the best part of all, is that we are going to try and give it a brain of its own so that if someone tries to get in, and they don't do it right, our nicknames will come up on the parchment and say something insulting we know about the person. And if we didn't know about the person, the map will use its brain to think of something." James said. "We have to add this part in. It would be the secret brilliance of the map. Insulting people. I am going to give it to Snape when we get it finished first, and see what happens."  
  
"Brilliant." Lily said nonchalantly, and James straightened up and resumed talking.  
  
~*~  
  
The tunnel, of course, was the one that Remus had been looking for, and let to the Hogsmeade sweet shop, Honeydukes. It took them about three hours and five hundred steps to get back to their common room. But this was mostly because they were loitering around the whole time.  
  
By the time they made it back, they barely made it to their beds without collapsing on the ground.  
  
"Remind me to never, ever, go down there again," Sirius climbed the stairs up to the boys dormitories groggily, fighting off a yawn.  
  
"This just isn't fair. After all that walking we don't even get to go into Honeydukes. That sugar would have done us some good, too." Lily and Lydia walked up to their room slowly.  
  
"I have a feeling that if you hadn't mysteriously found that passage we would still be out there, searching for it, with Remus staggering around saying, 'Lets just search here. Just this corridor, this one might be it.'" They both broke into a fit of giggles.  
  
"So you want to name your kid Harry, do you? And who, if you don't mind me asking, would you want to have him with?" Lily turned a bit red, before she got up and sat on the edge of Lydia's bed. Lydia grinned and elbowed her in the side. "You know, I think James really likes you,"  
  
"Well, James. He's not someone that I would do anything like that with. You haven't been here this whole time. Him and Sirius, they aren't the nicest people on the earth, let alone Hogwarts. AND," Lily turned a glare towards Lydia. "I really don't appreciate you pushing me towards James."  
  
Lydia rolled her eyes. "They seem fine," She said, yawning.  
  
"Remus, however," Lily said, a grin appearing on her face.  
  
Lydia began to laugh, and, as usual with midnight laughter, it fell out of control, and soon she was rolling around, laughing, as she knew she had never done before.  
  
Lily picked up a pillow and smacked Lydia. "Shut up! Like you don't like anyone," Lily began to repeatedly hit Lydia with the pillow, until the feathers began to come out.  
  
"As a matter of fact, I don't," Said Lydia, with what dignity she could muster with her hair smashed down at odd angles and her face bright red and tears of mirth streaked down her face.  
  
"Shut up. You have to," Lily walked over to her own bed now, silently slipping beneath the covers. "Besides, I think Sirius fancies you, even if you don't like anyone!"  
  
Lydia gasped, and threw her pillow at Lily. She really didn't like the thought of Sirius liking her. He was so. special. "Take that back!"  
  
"Oh, you're just mad that the person you like is not as cute as mine!"  
  
"Hmm. Sirius is way more cuter then James will ever be!" Her face flushed. "Not that I care, anyways, just trying to prove a point,"  
  
"I don't like James," Lily said, furrowing her eyebrows. "But don't tell anyone about what I said about Remus. I mean, if he found out. I would just die."  
  
Lydia grinned and wiggled her eyebrows, and thought about running to the boy's dormitory to tell Remus about it that moment.  
  
"Mmm hmm. Well, good night, I think you had better hurry up and get some beauty sleep, you need it," and Lily ducked as a giant heap of assorted things from the floor was thrown at her head.  
  
~*~  
  
Please review! I need to know that someone is reading. Um. besides my sister.  
  
You will review. You want to review. You absolutely have to review, because your life depends on it! SOMETHING TELLS ME the next chapter will appear magically if you review. ^______^  
  
Thank you to everyone that has! 


	5. Chapter 4

Messing With History  
  
By Mae Noelle  
  
~*~  
  
Disclaimer: *sigh* Is this really necessary? Alright, see my stuff? Neither do I. I think you get it, right? Am I right?  
  
Please review! And make suggestions, suggestions always make stories more interesting. Always. This story is mostly from Hermione's point of view, ok?  
  
~*~  
  
Ch. 4 - In the Library  
  
~*~  
  
Lydia woke with a splitting headache. She kept waking up, laughing, or Lily would just have to tell her something. And that something usually made her laugh so hard that she had to run to the bathroom for fear she would wet her bed.  
  
She grumbled as she hoisted herself out of that comfortable bed.  
  
It took her forever to get down to breakfast. The world seemed to be disagreeing with her today.  
  
"Well, nice to see you awake. What was going on last night? The whole boys dormitory was awake listening to some girls madly giggling." James looked over to Lily. "She won't tell us anything."  
  
Lily spit out the milk she was drinking and dissolved into another fit of mad giggles. Her head was resting in her folded arms, which were resting on the table.  
  
"She's been acting like that all morning," Sirius took a thoughtful bite of his cornflakes. "Just about everything we say is another reason to start laughing." Lydia caught Lily's eye and they both started to shake uncontrollably. Lydia sat heavily on to her usual seat next to Sirius. Of course, the only reason they were laughing at everything they were saying was because what they were laughing at last night had to do with them.  
  
Sirius shook his head. He muttered something that sounded distinctly like 'girls'. Lydia had had quite a weird dream, too, to go along with their discussion last night. Remus was a Professor at Hogwarts, and Sirius was this corpse of a man. With loads of filthy matted hair. She sneaked a look at Sirius - how she could ever have associated that corpse with this cute guy was beyond her. Or maybe this was just another one of her 'predictions'.  
  
I shouldn't even be thinking like that with these people, her mind told her again. Her mind was bent on getting this through her head, also. It just isn't right. But why not? It's not like they were evil, or her teachers or something. But she just couldn't shake off the feeling that she was missing the most important piece to this puzzle.  
  
~*~  
  
Finally, after a full day of Snape crashing into her at every corner, and Lucius' sneers, and much homework, she was finally eating her much appreciated dinner. She was just about to grab herself another batch of casserole when Dumbledore stood up.  
  
"Students, students," He said quietly. He had one of those talents where you could easily capture an audience without shouting. She had a weird feeling that she had thought that before. De ja vous, or something like that.  
  
"I have something to say that I am sure most of you will be glad to hear. This year, we have decided to hold a Christmas ball, held on Christmas Eve. More information on this wonderful event will be available when it is a bit closer to Christmas. Now, enjoy the rest of your delicious meal." Dumbledore sat back down, and the normal amount of chatter times ten returned to the students. There had been a lack of rumors lately, and this was almost a god-send to the students.  
  
"Do we have to ask out partners?" Peter glanced down the table. "I won't be able to go," he looked down, looking fretfully sad.  
  
"Don't worry, Peter, I am sure you will find someone!" Lily patted Peter on the shoulder.  
  
"You think it has to from our own house? Do you think that they would force us to ask someone from a different house?" James looked to his side at Lily. "You know, as some kind of House-bonding thing? I can see Dumbledore doing that."  
  
"Yah, me too," Sirius looked over to the other tables. "I don't think that would hurt my chances, though," Lydia punched him in the arm.  
  
"Well, aren't you full of yourself!" She said, watching Sirius wincing in pain.  
  
"That hurt," He said, looking at her playfully. She mentally groaned.  
  
"Oh, cry about it," Remus looked up and down the table, running his hand through his sandy blonde hair. "Maybe they will make it easy on us and make the girls ask the guys,"  
  
"Easy for you, you mean!" Lydia pointed at the guys. "At least your guys' egos are so big, being turned down won't hurt to bad, or you will just make it into a big joke, or you already know who you are going to ask." Lydia said teasingly, pointing from Sirius to Peter then to Remus and then James.  
  
Sirius looked hurt. "You mean you wouldn't automatically pick me?" he backed up the moment he said this. "Don't hit me," Sirius held his hands out in apology. "I bruise like a banana,"  
  
Lydia rolled her eyes, along with Lily. Lily looked over to Lydia, winked, then turned back to her food. Lydia rolled her eyes again.  
  
"Do you think we will have to wear dress robes?" Remus put on a disgusted expression. "The ones I have aren't worth a knut." He shivered.  
  
"Well mine certainly aren't a fashion statement," Lydia stuffed some more casserole into her mouth. "I should show you them some time."  
  
"I'll take your word for it, Granger. Hate to see what you would look like a dress," She turned around to face the direction the voice came from.  
  
"Really, Snape, thought that you at least would have found a better insult, seeing as how you have had at least a whole week to brood on it." She shook her head. "Quite sad, really." Snape set his eyes to a glare.  
  
"I don't remember asking you for your share of insults, Granger," She looked up, and he looked different. She almost felt sorry for him. Perhaps he had come over to apologize? Apologize after he made a few insults?  
  
"Funny, I don't remember asking you to come over here and patronize me," She leaned over. "Or is that one of those things where it just doesn't apply to you? One would think that you had invested in my misery." She shook her head.  
  
"Please, give me an excuse to hit you." James scooted back in his chair and narrowed his eyes at Snape.  
  
"Get over it Potter." With that Snape walked away.  
  
"Wonder what's shoved up his a-" Sirius started, sneering as Snape walked away.  
  
"Maybe his wand. That would give an explanation for that expression that's always on his face," Remus laughed, "I was going to say Malfoy, but that would be too wrong, even for those two."  
  
"Why must you always fight? Really, can't we all just, get along?" Lily grinned. "Then you could concentrate all your misguided efforts on something like studying," Everyone groaned.  
  
"Please, don't talk like that, I'll get nightmares." James put on a grimace and twirled his fork in his food.  
  
"Like the ones you get with the little pink bunnies?" Lily grinned once more as James paled.  
  
"Don't you dare," He growled.  
  
Lydia looked up to the bewitched ceiling. She decided that she was going to tell Lily her little secret.  
  
~*~  
  
Lydia sat up, awake in her bed, waiting for Lily to come up. Wonder if she will believe me, she thought. Not like there is much to tell her. I don't even know it all myself.  
  
There was creaking as Lily walked quietly into their room.  
  
"I have something to tell you," Lydia started, looking up at Lily from her half lying position on her bed.  
  
"Guess what I have to tell you!" Lily stopped. "Oh, lemme hear yours first!" She gave a malicious smile. "Maybe it will be the same as mine," She almost whispered.  
  
"Well, yours is obviously good, and I don't know what mine is, so you first," Lily sighed and jumped onto her bed.  
  
"James told me something, but promised me not to tell you, so, naturally, you need to know, but I can't tell you. Unless you beg, of course."  
  
Lydia rolled her eyes. "You are getting oddly close to James," She said, and once again the picture of them as a couple came to her mind.  
  
Lily shifted uncomfortably. "Yes, I can't shake him off. I really don't think I like him that much. I mean, I never really liked him, but he is constantly trying to show off, and acting like an ass hole, and." She coughed.  
  
"So. what is your news?" Lydia asked quickly.  
  
She smiled that devious smile again. That smirk should not be aloud out of the Slytherin common room, Lydia thought. "James said that Sirius had something to say to you, but he got held up by Remus," She started giggling. Lydia glared at her.  
  
"So you're not going to tell me? Well, I was just going to tell you what I knew of my past."  
  
Lily's eyes grew. "Really? You trust me enough?" Lydia nodded her head.  
  
"Not that there is much to tell, mind you,"  
  
She began to tell her of how she magically popped out of the air, a sixteen year old, not remembering a thing, and how she had been named by the staff and placed into the school to work, about her dreams, including the one of a boy that could have been identical to James, but he had flashing green eyes.  
  
Lily sat at the edge of her bed, biting her nails.  
  
"So you don't remember anything about your past? Oh, I am so sorry!" Lily ran over and threw her arms around her friend.  
  
"It's not like I could miss it, I don't even remember, so it's ok." She shook her head. "And what I remember makes no sense at all, like I am in a whole new world and time period, so everything is all distorted." She sighed. She suddenly sat straight up in bed. "But there is one thing that makes sense!" She rushed up and got her shoes. "You think James will let us borrow his invisibility cloak?"  
  
Lily gasped. "How'd you know he has an invisibility cloak?" Lydia shrugged.  
  
"Just did. But this is important! C'mon!"  
  
"Well, they aren't in their room, I know that for sure. But James wouldn't care, as long as we don't kill it."  
  
Lydia nodded. "Alright. I am going to go down to the library. I need to see something, now, and I know that it is in the restricted section. Do you want to come?"  
  
Lily bit her lip, sighing once more.  
  
"Actually, I do need to pick up a book for one of my essays." They both headed out, down the stairs and up to the boys' dormitory. "It is in his trunk, I saw him put it there last."  
  
Lily began to pry at his trunk, finally pulling it open and getting out a silvery cloak.  
  
"Ok. Lets go!" They slipped under it, going down to the common room. They immediately heard voices and footsteps. "There are people about to come in, great timing, too," The marauders walked in, holding a piece of parchment.  
  
"Okay, lets get this started!" Sirius opened the parchment and flattened it on the table. "C'mon, get in!"  
  
The portrait was about to close as Lily and Lydia slipped out.  
  
"I hope they don't get the people part down yet," Lily whispered.  
  
It was a long trip down to the library, it seemed that every creak and shadow was about to leap out to them.  
  
"So what did you need to get to?" Lily turned to Lydia, now inside the library, closing the doors quietly behind them. Luckily nobody was in there. Well, of course, there shouldn't be anyone in there.  
  
"I need a book on time travel, I think," Lydia craned her neck to a section in the back. "An illegal way, of course," Lily popped out from underneath the cloak.  
  
"I am going to go get a book from over there, alright? I will go back to the restricted section when I got it. You can keep the cloak. I am sure where you're going is more heavily guarded."  
  
Lydia nodded, probably unnoticeably, and walked away.  
  
And of course, she almost ran strait into someone. Brilliant.  
  
Lydia was about to scream, and then remembered that he couldn't see her. She looked down quickly to make sure. She leaned a bit closer to distinguish who this person was.  
  
It took all she had to not groan.  
  
Snape.  
  
The best person to run into right when you aren't supposed to be there. Then she remembered that he probably wasn't supposed to be there either, and moved out of the way as he walked toward a shelf where she had just been.  
  
She walked quickly toward her destination, not really wanting to sit there and observe Snape unseen. It was quite appealing, but she quickly shook that out of her mind. Imagine being caught, staring at Snape! She caught herself right before she snorted aloud.  
  
She turned back.  
  
Actually, he wasn't that bad looking. He could do with washing his hair, himself, and maybe a smile. She mentally smacked herself. This was Snape! Severus SNAPE! She had a feeling that she had something more against him besides these past months - something she didn't know about. Something to do with her memories of the future. Ah! That reminded her.  
  
She tore her eyes off of Snape and walked to find a book that would hopefully make everything make sense. Hopefully.  
  
She pulled out a book from a shelf with titles like 'Time traveling mishaps' and 'Blunders of the idiots who went back in time' and others. She opened her book. It was about what happened to certain people who went back in time. Her mind absently wandered to thinking what Sirius would have said if he had known what she had been thinking about Snape. She tried to suppress a giggle.  
  
Unfortunately, it came out.  
  
Snape snapped his head around a shelf, looking straight through Lydia, and then resting his eyes on the open book on the floor.  
  
Snape walked over to the book. He picked it up and flipped to the next page Lydia had not read. It said something about a man who had traveled back in time and managed to hit his head, loosing his memory and going through his past again, twenty years older then before.  
  
He snapped it shut and shoved it into an empty spot on the shelf, wondering why the hell anyone would be reading that. He turned his head, hoping to see a swish of a cloak or hear dying footsteps - of course, finding none.  
  
~*~  
  
Lydia quickly ditched the book and ran. Soundlessly, she hopped. She found Lily crouching over a book, and lifted the cloak off of her head.  
  
"Lily! Lily, we have to go! I think Severus heard me, he was over there, and, we need to go!" Lily looked up, panic stricken. She picked up her book and threw it onto the shelf.  
  
"What's he doing over there? In the restricted section, after hours? What did he hear? And did you just call him Severus?" They both ran out of the library, taking extra care to open the doors as slightly as possible.  
  
Then they flew.  
  
~*~  
  
"So you're sure you didn't see what book he had?"  
  
"Yes, I'm sure. And, as I have already told you, it was in the potions section." Lydia flopped down on a large puffy armchair.  
  
"Maybe he is planning to brew something to kill,"  
  
"Wouldn't put it past him." Remus and James nodded in agreement to Sirius.  
  
"Lets tell someone that he was in the restricted section!" Peter sat up.  
  
"They would ask how we know, duh." Remus rubbed his eyes.  
  
"Anonymously tip them off," Peter added.  
  
"Well, I think that he knows that I was a girl, cause he heard me giggling -" Lydia stopped, covering her mouth and mentally slapping herself.  
  
"And what, pray tell, were you laughing at?" Sirius leaned over a bit to close for comfort.  
  
Remus sat staring at her, wondering most likely if she was mental. "Yes?"  
  
"You didn't tell me about that part," Lily frowned, cocking her head a bit.  
  
"Oh nothing," Lydia hoped she was speaking in an off-handed kind of tone, not a trying-to-sound-off-handed kind of tone. "I was reading something about blundering time traveling, and this one part sort of struck me as funny," She bit her tongue, hoping beyond hope that they would believe it.  
  
"So it didn't have anything to do with, Snape, huh?" Remus raised his eyebrows.  
  
Lydia felt her face flush, and decided that she had better make a mad appearance to cover it up. They didn't need to know this kind of thing anyway! It was certainly not their business!  
  
"What?! Did you think I was sitting there staring at Snape, thinking about his wonderful looks, giggling, and then he heard me?" Of course, this is what had happened, but they really didn't need to know. She stood up and took out her wand. "Say that you would not even think of me thinking like that as a last resort, if ever!"  
  
Thankfully, all their suspicions died. They breathed.  
  
"Thank god! Don't ever scare me like that!" Sirius slumped down in his chair, and Remus sighed.  
  
"She has got a special gift with stopping hearts," Remus patted his chest.  
  
"Don't say stuff like that, she might get ideas!" Lily began to giggle as Sirius paled and Remus turned a nice shade of red.  
  
Lydia took care not to look into either of their eyes, for fear she might see something their she was not ready to handle.  
  
"Er, if you don't mind, I would like to know what you were looking for."  
  
Lily caught Lydia's eye and she nodded. "Just for some useful hexes," She smiled mischievously. She wasn't really ready to tell them about her weird theory. "Can't ever know too many of those."  
  
~*~  
  
Lydia decided that she needed to go back to the library, but alone. Clues were popping up in the strangest part of her mind, like nightmares, ruining her picture perfect little world made for her. Of course her 'memories' of the future could be no more then nightmares, or they could be predictions.  
  
She was not a true 'seer', that she knew for sure. In fact, for some reason, that fact disgusted her. Her, a seer. Hah. Or, what she most feared, they could be memories. Remembering the future, that sounded absolutely absurd. But to remember the future, that would mean that she was there in the future, and that the future was her past. Damn, how confusing. And that was why she had to go back to the library.  
  
Maybe this was why psychics went crazy, because they knew the future, and they knew that they couldn't change it. She knew that because either in a book or from some wise man she had heard that when you go back to the past, you can't change it, because you are the past.  
  
Creepy.  
  
Then, of course, they could all just be nightmares.  
  
Maybe.  
  
Lydia snuck into James' room, and quickly got the invisibility cloak. He would understand, wouldn't he? She was going to give it back.  
  
She snuck out, and quietly pushed the portrait open. The Fat Lady awoke suddenly, looking about for the one who had disturbed her slumber. She shook her head and quickly regained her earlier state.  
  
Lydia found the library quite easily, like she had been there for six years instead of a couple of months.  
  
She silently opened the library doors and slinked inside. She didn't take as much caution as she had before; she just really wanted to get to those books. Another thing was nagging at the back of her mind. A book stood out among the rest. It was gold-ish, and a little chain was imprinted, circling the cover and swirling here and there. She didn't even bother looking at the title. She pulled it out, and laid it on the floor. If someone came across a floating book, well, she didn't want to think about it.  
  
The book was all about time turners. The laws on it, who had invented it. She was just about to flip to one of the middle pages when suddenly there was an immense pressure on her leg. The cloak, which had been neatly covering her laying body, was pulled halfway over her.  
  
Someone had tripped over her. Again, Brilliant. She sighed and pulled the cloak off and stuffed it behind her. She wouldn't be able to pull it over and conceal herself in time, (besides, the person had felt her) and explaining herself would be easier to explain then half of herself in here. She didn't want James' cloak taken away.  
  
Lydia looked over to the person struggling to get up, rubbing his arm. Damn! thought Lydia. Perfect! Why him? Why? Why, what did I do to deserve this?!  
  
She snapped her book shut, causing the person to turn his head. She shoved the book onto its specific spot on the shelf.  
  
"What are you doing here?" the boy basically snarled it out.  
  
"I think the question should be, what are you doing here?" She glared at him, but she was sure the dim light wouldn't allow him to see it.  
  
"You were the one here last week, weren't you?" He eyed the section she has been looking in.  
  
"Whatever are you talking about Snape? You mean to say you are here everyday watching?" She sat down heavily. "I am sure you're not allowed to be here."  
  
"Wow, stroke of pure genius. Wouldn't have expected such brilliance from you."  
  
"Shut it. I don't want to have to kill you right here. Alright, I want to, but I don't think it's allowed."  
  
"Why are you even here?" He once again eyed the shelf that the books Lydia had been looking at, but then he grabbed the large golden book. "Thinking about going back in time to kill my parents or something?" He sneered.  
  
"If you actually do go back in time, that means you were meant to be there, and you can't alter the past because you are part of it." She said, sticking her nose in the air. Snape glared at her.  
  
"I care why?"  
  
"Just thought I would prove once again that you are stupid."  
  
"Why would you even be looking at these anyway?" he lost his usual glaring expression, and a quizzical one swept over his face as he examined the golden book.  
  
"You care why?"  
  
She looked up at his dark figure. Despite the fact that everything around was black, his eyes seemed to be like dark caverns. They stood out as even more black then usual. Not that she cared. He threw the book down at her, and walked toward the opposite shelf.  
  
"I don't."  
  
She smiled secretly. "And that's why you asked?"  
  
He shrugged. "Just shut up. You're annoying me." Lydia got up and walked over to the section he was in. Great, they were all deadly potions and stuff. He was probably deciding which potion he should slip into her pumpkin juice right now. She leaned over and snatched the book right out of his hands. He made a mad grab for it, but she turned and started reading that page.  
  
"Potions, eh?" She skimmed down the pages. They were all potions ingredients and what they were used for. "Hmm." She flipped a few pages ahead, and saw a gruesome picture of what dwarvesprout did to the skin.  
  
Severus grabbed for the book again.  
  
"Say the magic word," Lydia smiled sweetly. Might as well make him suffer.  
  
He pulled out his wand. She didn't mean that literally.  
  
"Accio!" The book flew from her hands into his.  
  
"Damn," She walked back to the books and took out the most interesting looking one.  
  
"So you're not going to tell,"  
  
Lydia shrugged. "Dunno. Maybe," Snape's eyes narrowed. "If you don't tell on me, fine. But tell me one thing, what are you doing?"  
  
Snape sighed as he closed a book. "Alright. I like potions, and the only good books on them are in the restricted section. The professors, naturally, won't allow me within a hundred feet of the restricted books. So I sneak in."  
  
Lydia nodded. "Good enough."  
  
"You?"  
  
"Figuring out my future, or past. Maybe both."  
  
Snape raised an eyebrow. "I am not going to ask."  
  
"Good, cause I wouldn't tell you anyways."  
  
Lydia sat, trying to get into the books. But, she couldn't. She sighed and stuffed all the books on the floor onto the shelf.  
  
"Do you come here every night?" She finally asked him.  
  
He nodded, not looking up from his book.  
  
"Well, to warn you, I may come here tomorrow also."  
  
"Hmm."  
  
Lydia grabbed the invisibility cloak and hid it behind her back. She traveled out of the library, once again trying her best to look as small as possible.  
  
"Hmm," Lydia looked down the hall, and back into the library. Then she threw her cloak over her head and sped off toward the Gryffindor common room.  
  
~*~  
  
Geez. This is probably my least favorite chapter I have written so far. And I think it's my shortest too. Have you ever re-read and re-read something over and over again? OH - duh, of course you have! I forgot, I am speaking to the Harry Potter fandom people. Everyone that would read this has read each of the books like fifty times. Except the fifth, you could've only read it a few times in the last week.  
  
I. don't really have anything to say. Thank you for reading. Thanks to those who reviewed. Please review.  
  
Hope you liked! Review, too! 


	6. Chapter 5

Messing With History  
  
By Mae Noelle  
  
~*~  
  
Disclaimer: *sigh* Is this really necessary? Alright, see my stuff? Neither do I.  
  
Please review! And make suggestions, suggestions always make stories more interesting. Always. Especially if they are good ones.  
  
This story is mostly from Hermione's point of view, ok?  
  
~*~  
  
Ch. 5 - The Dream  
  
~*~  
  
Lydia got up, debated on whether or not to mention last night to Lily, and then got dressed. Most likely Lily would either laugh hysterically in her face, or leave her forever. And Lydia would not stand for that.  
  
The little group (which consisted of James, Sirius, Remus, Lily, Peter, and of course Lydia) walked quickly down to the Great Hall.  
  
Remus yawned. Lily rubbed her eyes. James tried to flatten down his hair.  
  
"There has to be something-" Lydia stopped in mid sentence. Severus and Lucius were walking down from the corridor that they obviously had came from.  
  
"Well hello there, dream team. Not up to mornings, are we?" Malfoy sneered as he poked Snape in the side. "Looks like you guys have been getting ready for a photo shoot!" He started to chuckle at his own joke. He looked at Snape. "What's with you? No insult to throw? You must be sick. Been hanging around Gryffindors too much, eh?"  
  
Snape looked up, his eyes going over the little group in front of him. His eyes seemed to linger a bit longer of Lydia, or so she thought. Great. He is going to poison me, Lydia thought.  
  
"Not right now, Lucius." Snape turned and walked into the Great Hall. Lucius made a face and, with a last glare at the dream team, followed him in.  
  
Remus stood, his mouth gapping. "Dear god, it's like he almost stuck up for us,"  
  
Lydia just stared into the Great Hall, eyes bugged out and mouth open. Sirius shook his head and put his hand on Lydia's shoulder.  
  
"I know how you feel," He then turned and stared some more into the hall before walking in with James.  
  
The only problem with Sirius' comment was that it was slightly wrong.  
  
~*~  
  
Snape ran into Lydia a bit more then usual that day. His sneering face seemed to be looming over her wherever she went. A head popped out of the Transfiguration classroom, scanning the hall. I think its safe, she thought. Lydia walked out, clutching her bag to her chest with one hand and her hat in another. Anything that could come off the body was a hazard unto herself.  
  
She looked around again. She really couldn't afford to go down to Madam Pomfreys again, she would probably just ignore her this time.  
  
Lydia broke out into a trot as she glanced back occasionally. Until she either got to the Gryffindor common room or under the watch of at least one of the marauders (besides Peter) she wouldn't be able to be unwounded for long.  
  
Once again, Lydia looked over her shoulder. She sighed, relieved to see no sign of Snape or Malfoy. She flipped her head back to its normal position, and ran straight into Snape.  
  
At least he didn't run into her.  
  
She tried to back away, but just ended up falling over forward - right on Snape. He lay there, winded, gasping for air.  
  
"God! Gees Snape, watch were you're going." She held herself on her arms; her face nearly inches away from his. She was either about to start laughing or screaming; he, on the other hand, just looked like screaming. He obviously was not thinking of taking her down this way.  
  
She rolled over, grabbing her wand, which had been thrown across the hall. Snape stood glaring at Lydia, picking up his bag. "Graceful Granger."  
  
"Not unlike you, huh?"  
  
"I did not run into you."  
  
"Only if you count twenty times as none at all." Lydia smirked.  
  
Snape leaned over. "Yes, but you did do that on accident."  
  
She narrowed her eyes. "And how can you be so sure?"  
  
Then, suddenly, he smiled. It looked pretty scary on him. Mental note: He never smiles, and when he does, run. Run. Run very, very far away.  
  
"Because you were looking back there for me." He turned and walked down to the hall.  
  
She stood there, still watching him walk down the hall, feeling slightly stunned. Well, that was interesting, Lydia said to herself. Lydia smiled, wondering once again what Sirius would have done if he knew what she was thinking.  
  
~*~  
  
Lydia once again snuck into James dormitory to get the invisibility cloak. She couldn't not go to the library now; she had two mysteries to solve.  
  
She had to wait by the portrait for at least ten minutes for it to open, there were too many people in the common room for them not to notice. And she couldn't explain to everyone that she was going to the library, alone, after hours, into the restricted section, 'cause they might get suspicious.  
  
And those weren't the only reasons, so they would have a right to be suspicious. Besides being suspicious for those other things anyway. Going into the restricted section was against the rules, especially after hours. And that she was going alone, even without Lily. She was doing too many don'ts.  
  
She finally reached the library. She was kind of wondering to herself if she was going in there for those books possibly containing the answers to her history, or because Snape was in there. He was practically a mystery anyway.  
  
The quiet, dark room beckoned her. She never felt this, well, disobedient before. In any of her lives. I'm pretty sure, anyway, She thought.  
  
Lydia marched her way over to the restricted section, then remembered that Snape didn't know about the invisibility cloak. She took it off and hid it in a corner of a shelf. She would come back and get it later. It wouldn't be good for Snape to see flying books everywhere.  
  
There was no sign of Snape anywhere yet. She could get to studying those books without disruption then. Not that I care if he's here or not, Lydia told herself. Doesn't really matter. He just might be setting something or me up to get caught or something. She settled down with a nice large book, holding a bewitched mini flashlight-like-candle. It was so nice and quiet in there. She could almost feel herself beginning to drift off. Maybe it was too quiet...  
  
There was a loud clap behind her, and she covered her mouth to prevent a scream that crept up her spine. It was either a professor or someone who wanted to kill her, she knew it. Great, I'm gonna get expelled, McGonagalls' gonna be so disappointed in me, I just know it, She turned with her wand clasped tightly in her hand to see Snape smirking.  
  
"Just had to do that. You were going to fall asleep."  
  
Lydia glared at him. If only daggers really could come out of my eyes...  
  
"Why don't you just ask someone to give you a pass to the restricted section? They don't have anything against you."  
  
Lydia looked up. Why hadn't she thought of that?  
  
"So miss know-it-all doesn't have common sense? That is quite sad." Lydia drooped. That was sad.  
  
"Didn't know you cared."  
  
"Don't. At least I thought of asking before I broke twenty rules by coming in here,"  
  
"What are you trying to say?"  
  
"I'm not stupid."  
  
"Hmm. Could have fooled me." Lydia reached for a book over her head.  
  
"I've heard better comebacks from a turkey sandwich."  
  
"Sad, that you've had that kind of intimacy with your lunch."  
  
"And yet it' s still better then talking to Black or Potter." Snape sat down and opened a book.  
  
"At least I have friends."  
  
"Ouch. Felt that one, I did."  
  
"Glad to know."  
  
Snape didn't even answer. He just read his book in the quiet.  
  
Lydia was starting to wonder why she had not wanted peace and quiet before, it was so nice. She felt on the verge of remembering something, sitting in the solitude of the library. It was on the edge of her mind... so close... she could feel it...  
  
"So what are you looking for again?"  
  
Trust Snape to ruin everything. She sighed.  
  
"I forgot."  
  
"Liar."  
  
"And I would tell you why?"  
  
"Why not." He didn't seem so powerful while half into a good book. He couldn't even get his questions out the right way.  
  
"If you aren't even going to bother with speaking to me properly," She huffed.  
  
"Hmm?" He looked up. "I was just making conversation. For a minute I was about to fall asleep."  
  
Seemed he wasn't so powerful at all alone. In fact, he seemed, well, almost civil.  
  
"Well then, answer me this; why are you acting more human even though you are now alone in here with a Gryffindor?"  
  
"Well, I assumed that we had a sort of agreement. I tell not on you, nor you on me. I assumed that you wouldn't tell anyone about the happenings here, and if you did they would surely shun you away anyway. And I would certainly not tell. I've got to much at stake." He grinned. That grin really, really scared her.  
  
In kind of a good way.  
  
"Damn. You have a point."  
  
"Of course I do. I am full of them." She cast a sideways glance at him. Snape even trying to be humorous was not right. On top of that, it was scary - not to mention that he couldn't do funny if the greatest idea danced naked in front of him.  
  
"How do you know that I wouldn't tell anyway?"  
  
"Tell what, that you voluntarily went into an empty library after hours in the restricted section with a Slytherin? Try explaining to Potter and Black that it was me, too." he smirked again. "I would give anything to see the look on their faces,"  
  
"You're cruel."  
  
"Yes, I am. Glad you noticed."  
  
He went back to his interesting potions book. Lydia decided it was time for her to leave.  
  
"Well, good bye," She picked up her bag she had brought, for stashing away any books she might need later. She would return them, of course. She sighed as she pushed a large gray book back onto the shelf.  
  
"Are you going to be here tomorrow?" Snape looked up from his book. There was an odd expression on his face that Lydia could not quite place -  
  
"Most likely." She turned around, making for the hiding place of the invisibility cloak. She of course did not see Snape look down at his book, smiling to himself.  
  
~*~  
  
Lydia had returned every night for the past two weeks, at least. Not much happened, and she could never find exactly what it was she was looking for. Snape seemed to be getting to be less and less hostile. Friendly, even.  
  
She sighed, and slapped her Arithmancy book shut. She just couldn't get into it at that moment. She wanted to go up to the library. Now.  
  
"Lydia?" Lydia's attention was caught by Lily, who was slowly approaching her friend from a table filled with the marauders. "I just wanted to talk - I was wondering, what's wrong? You haven't been here at all for at least two weeks. What's going on?" Lily sat down on an armchair next to Lydia.  
  
"Oh, nothing, nothing."  
  
"Is there something bad going on? Have you found some new passage out? Where are you sneaking out too? How come you haven't asked me to come with you?" Lily cast Lydia curious glances, probably half expecting her to blow up or something.  
  
"Oh, its nothing against you, Lily!" Lydia smiled as her friend eased up a bit. "It's nothing really."  
  
"Well, Sirius asked James to ask me to ask you if they had done anything wrong," She said this rather fast.  
  
Lydia suppressed a giggle as she looked over to the marauder table, which had been glancing over their way frequently.  
  
"No. Of course not! What in the world were you guys thinking?" Lydia said, and Lily bit her lip.  
  
"You'd rather not know," She nodded toward James, who had been whispering something to the rest of his table.  
  
"Ookay, whatever you say," Lydia looked down, staring at her hands.  
  
Lily suddenly looked up, a twinkle in her eye. "You know that Break will be in one week, and then in another week is the Christmas Ball, right?" She rolled her eyes. "You shall never ever guess who has asked me to go with him!" She said, her voice very low.  
  
"Could it be, no, that would be too absurd - maybe, James Potter?" Lydia smirked. "No, that would be too farfetched. But the real question is - did you say yes?"  
  
"Yes." Lily said with a sigh. "I don't think I'll be asked by anyone else. You don't have a date yet, do you?" Lily smiled that mischievous smile again. "I heard somewhere that Sirius and Remus were in a dog fight over who gets to ask you first,"  
  
Lydia coughed back a laugh, wondering if Lily knew how literal that she could take 'dog fight'. How could I take it any other way, though? She wondered to herself. Damn. Another memory thing.  
  
"Really. Are you sure? For some reason I get the feeling that you are making this up."  
  
"No," Lily breathed. "Me? Never,"  
  
They spent the next hour or two discussing what they would do at the ball, and what they should wear, and nice girly stuff like that.  
  
Finally the boys, sick of waiting and having to listen to them giggling, walked over to Lily and Lydia.  
  
"Sooo..." Everyone met eyes.  
  
"What in the world were you guys thinking?" Lydia repeated, staring at Remus in particular. He seemed to be a bit more pale then the rest. Of course, it could be the full moon.  
  
"Er, Lydia- I think Sirius would like to tell you!" James grinned and pointed to his friend.  
  
Everyone sat down, listening to horrible excuses for Lydia's nighttime disappearances.  
  
"I thought maybe you were a werewolf too, at one point - but you were gone more then usual, and I thought Dumbledore would have told me if you were," Lydia looked at Remus. He looked incredibly forlorn. She had the sudden urge to hug him.  
  
"Well, I need to go down to the library. Want to come, Lily?" James smiled at Lily and she nodded.  
  
"Okay! Lets go." They both walked out through the portrait.  
  
Peter got up to his feet. "Hey, Sirius! I have this great idea for a prank to play on Snape. You have to see what I have." He started to walk towards the stairs to his dormitory. Sirius looked very reluctant to go. With a quick glance back at Remus and Lydia he jumped up the stairs. Lydia eyed this all quizzically.  
  
"So, Lydia, do you have a date for the Christmas Ball yet?" He looked up, a bit more of what was left of the color in his face left. Oooooooooooooooooohhhh. Lydia grinned. Very, very wide.  
  
"Noo," Now she couldn't wipe that grin off of her face if she wanted to. She was incredibly afraid that no one was going to ask her to the ball, and the person she did want to ask her would definitely not. She was also terribly afraid that Sirius would ask her, and, if he did. she would have to shoot him down.  
  
"I was wondering if you would like to go with me," He grinned, too. Most of the color in his face returned, with a bit of red threatening to take over.  
  
"Of course!" Lydia couldn't help herself; she threw her arms around him. Now she had at least three reasons to hug him, why not?  
  
Remus didn't really know what to do (what else could one expect? He is a guy) so he just kind of sat there, awkwardly patting her on the back.  
  
"You know, if you would rather go with Sirius, you-"  
  
"NO! I mean, he, of course not, I would rather go with you." Lydia pulled back and put her hands in her lap. Remus grinned.  
  
"I was afraid it would be the other way around." He sighed and ran a hand through his sandy blonde hair. Already, Lydia could see, was speckled with light gray flecks here and there. She kindof liked it- No! a voice said in her mind. You cannot think that way! It is wrong, very, very wrong! These voices kicked in whenever she had thought something about someone here, so she learned to ignore it.  
  
Remus had to go, and so Lydia sat in her little reverie, a slight smile on her face as she thought about the ball.  
  
But the entire time, she would constantly frown, because all she could think about was with whom Snape would be going.  
  
~*~  
  
There she was, in the middle of a field, with her little group around her. Except that it included Snape. And Malfoy. Malfoy? Where was she? Never mind that, she had to get ready for something very special, she could feel it. Everything was coming together, everything was perfect. Even the weather agreed with her. The only clouds in the sky were far off in the horizon - black, ominous clouds - but they were far away.  
  
From behind her someone shouted an incantation. She turned, but only saw more of her friends, smiling back at her. She looked over head, bright green was filling the air around her, and she was suddenly on the ground.  
  
There was a bright green skull in the sky. It had a serpent coming from its mouth - the dark mark. She just knew it. She looked to her side. Remus should have been standing there, but there was only a man. A very tired looking man, graying hair, but otherwise looked to be young.  
  
"Professor Lupin -" She started. He shook his head.  
  
She turned to where Lily and James had been. Only two graves stood. She walked over to them. Lily and James Potter! Dead! She tried to scream, but it would not come out. If only it would! She turned again. Only a corpse of a man, fifthly matted hair, down to his shoulders, the only thing that proved he was living was the twinkle his eyes carried.  
  
"Black!" She lifted her hand to her mouth, and he just nodded sadly, sitting down heavily. "No!" And she watched him dissapear, left only by a small mark on the ground.  
  
She turned once more, this time facing Peter. His hand was gone, and only a silver look glove like thing remained.  
  
"Petegrew!" She spat.  
  
"I am so sorry," he croaked, his eyes shinning.  
  
She did not want to turn anymore, but faced Malfoy. He sat there, laughing at her. Laughing. It was ringing in her ears, almost as cold as the wind whipping her face and stinging her body. A hole in his sleeve revealed the dark mark printed into his arm. She wanted to kill him. He sat there laughing.  
  
She turned. She didn't care about that sad excuse for a wizard anyway. Her eyes came upon a tall, pale man. He loomed over her, his black eyes shining in the midst of the cold, dark place. The only thing that contradicted with his dark looming features was his smile.  
  
Then, when just a moment ago she knew nothing, now she understood. Severus Snape pulled a long golden chain from his pocket. "Take this and go back now, Hermione. Back. You can't mess with history,"  
  
Out of the corner of her eye Hermione saw Peter stare at her, a sad stare as he turned his head sadly toward the three graves among them. Remus smiled, but it seemed sad for a different reason, most likely the only thing she didn't understand at this moment. Snape put the long golden chain with the hourglass into her hands. Then he bent forward and kissed her forehead. "Good luck."  
  
~*~  
  
Hermione awoke, sat up, and stared forward into the curtains surrounding her bed. She understood everything. Everything was a giant puzzle, and for a moment she had seen the picture of what the puzzle is supposed to look like.  
  
She rolled over and fell asleep quickly again. She could not remember anything, which was most likely for the better. In the morning she could not even remember that she had gotten up in such a sad mood in the middle of the night.  
  
But she certainly felt the incredible nagging at the pit of her stomach that day.  
  
~*~  
  
Ahh! The Dream! A classic and pivital point in every story. ^_^ Still think you know whats going to happen? Guess what! You don't! Hahaha! :P ANYWAYS. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! *blows kisses* I love you all!  
  
How do you like? Review! Please! Please! Please! Please! 


	7. Chapter 6

Messing With History  
  
By Mae Noelle  
  
~*~  
  
Disclaimer: *sigh* Is this really necessary? Alright, see my stuff? Neither do I.  
  
Please review! And make suggestions too! I love suggestions.  
  
This story is mostly from Hermione's point of view, ok?  
  
~*~  
  
Ch. 6 - The Map Says 'Hermione'  
  
~*~  
  
Sirius sat quietly eating.  
  
"Could you pass me those?" Lydia pointed to a bowl across from Sirius. Sirius quickly pushed the bowl down the table. James rolled his eyes.  
  
Lydia scowled. He doesn't need to ignore me all the time. Well, if he's going to act like that,  
  
"Thank you for passing it to me," She huffed, leaning over to snatch the bowl off the table. He didn't even respond. Gees, its not like it was her fault.  
  
She could not wait to go to the library. Snape had found a book that had some very interesting information in it, or so he said. It's usefulness remains to be seen, of course.  
  
There was a clank as Lydia put her silverware down, and in the swish of a cloak she was gone. She really didn't want to sit there with feuding people at that moment.  
  
"God, Sirius," Remus muttered, immediately hoping no one had heard. Sirius threw his silverware down in a less graceful manner and stomped out of the Great Hall.  
  
"God, Remus," Lily looked like she was either going to stomp out too or start laughing. Remus threw her what was supposed to be a mean glare.  
  
~*~  
  
Lydia grabbed the invisibility cloak as fast as she could, she had a feeling that someone was going to try and follow her up. She flung it around her shoulders and made for the portrait, when it was suddenly swung open.  
  
Sirius came stomping in, apparently in a bad mood. Lydia cursed her bad luck, (of course it would be him that would follow) and crept out the partially open portrait. Nobody would miss her. Or they would be too busy arguing over her to even know that she was gone.  
  
Hopefully no one would be in the library right now, it wasn't exactly after hours yet. It was really dark inside, no light shining in from the windows, it being around 6 o'clock in winter.  
  
The big golden book shone out from its shelf back in the restricted section. Lydia didn't really feel like reading at that moment. For now she would just think of what insults she could use once Snape got here. Well, no, I'd better grab a book anyway, it wouldn't look good to just be in here doing nothing.  
  
Nothing the book said was too interesting at that moment. She looked out down the aisle, wondering where Snape was. Not that she cared. Well, it was kind of fun having little arguments over nothing. He always seemed to have a witty comeback. It was refreshing.  
  
Finally there was some noise across the library. He had better be more careful, he sounds as if he was not even trying to be quiet.  
  
It was Snape, and he looked grumpier then usual. He sat down heavily, dragging down a few books with him.  
  
"What's wrong with you?" Lydia tried to figure out the look on his face.  
  
His head snapped up, and he searched the area around him. She was just beginning to think he'd gone blind when she looked down. Shit. She was still wearing the invisibility cloak.  
  
"Granger?" He whispered, still looking around. He stood up, his eyes transfixed on where her voice had seemed to come from. Lydia leapt to her feet and started to slink away. He walked quicker and snatched at thin air. Lydia tried to dodge it, but he was quicker. He snatched again, and caught a handful of cloak. He yanked.  
  
He dangled the cloak in front of her, shaking his head.  
  
"Hmm."  
  
Lydia stood there, blinking. "Give that back." Snape pulled the cloak back, examining it.  
  
"Were you wearing this yesterday?"  
  
"No, I was in my common room yesterday." Snape's eyes flashed as he sat down.  
  
"Thank god," He breathed. Lydia looked up. What would be worth thanking god for that had to do with her in her common room?  
  
"Thank god what?" She suddenly grinned. "Why? What were you doing yesterday?" He looked up.  
  
"Nothing. Didn't know you had an invisibility cloak," He said, still examining the cloak. She narrowed her eyes. That was a deliberate change of subject. He threw the cloak back to her.  
  
"How did you think I got in here?"  
  
"Same as me. But I forgot, you're not nearly as quick and cunning." Oh well. She'd just ignore him. "So you agree. Nice to know." He picked up a book, flipping through his pages. "So, where were you yesterday?"  
  
Weird, he said that like he almost cared.  
  
"Told you. In my common room." Sneaking a look at Snape, glaring down at his book, she added, "They were getting suspicious. And besides, Remus asked me to go to the ball with him and I couldn't exactly run off after that." She looked up. Oops. She hadn't meant to say that part.  
  
"Wow. Someone asked you, and it wasn't Potty or Black."  
  
"Great. Nice to know I have your approval. Which unlucky girl is being forced to go with you?" She hoped that she didn't sound like she really wanted to know, just curious. Of course, not that she did care.  
  
"Elisa Nott." Who is that? He looked up. "You care why?"  
  
"Don't. Just curious." He raised his eyebrows. "Please, don't make me hex you,"  
  
"Did you check that book that I showed you?" He sat down his books (which were now in a great heaping disorganized pile) and walked over to the shelf behind her. He skimmed over the books.  
  
"Why are you helping me?" she asked, taking the book he handed her. "I think I have read this one before,"  
  
"Well, I remember seeing something about someone who had amnesia - a muggle ailment, or so the wizards think -" He leaned over and started to flip the pages. He went to her side, leaning in, and pointed to a paragraph. Lydia couldn't breath - he was too close - and she tried to concentrate on what he was saying, and not that he was barely two inches from her - everywhere - "Are you listening?" He backed away as her head snapped up.  
  
"Of course. Thanks, I think I've got it now, this is really going to help a lot!" She smiled and sat down quickly. She leaned against the bookshelf, trying to read what he was pointing to. And trying to concentrate on the book. She took out her little bewitched flashlight-like-candle and held it up to the book. It said something about a guy who had taken a time turner back in time and got knocked on the head, and had to start his life all over twenty some years in the past. Maybe that's what happened to her. Wait-  
  
"Why would you connect this with me?" She had her reasons for believing this, but what did he know?  
  
"Well, it would explain why you came in the middle of the Hogwarts school years, wouldn't it? And why you don't remember anything,"  
  
"How do-" Lydia began. If he could see through her that easily then everyone would know by Christmas one way or another.  
  
"I can add two and two together," He answered irritably.  
  
"What did you get? Five?"  
  
"Just because you have those problems it doesn't mean that you should automatically assume that I do,"  
  
Damn. She was running out of neutral witty comebacks.  
  
"Hey, you never answered why you were helping me."  
  
"Did it ever occur to you that I didn't want to answer?"  
  
"Yes, but that isn't a good enough answer."  
  
Snape sighed as he shut his current book.  
  
"Because."  
  
"That is not an answer either."  
  
"Good enough for me." He went back to his book.  
  
Lydia smirked. He didn't look to into it, though.  
  
"Is that a good book?" Lydia asked, still smirking.  
  
"Hmm?" He looked up. "Yes, of course it is." He looked back down.  
  
"Is that why it is upside down?" Lydia couldn't stop the gurgling feeling down in her stomach, which would most certainly be punctured by her ribs in a minute or two. Snape looked at his book, his eyes focusing in on it, and turned it right side up.  
  
"I was observing this picture from a different angle," He said simply. He could not fight the red that was creeping up his neck, however.  
  
"Sure," Lydia stood up and started for Snape. He threw the book into a massive pile of them, and buried it in there.  
  
"Hah." Lydia narrowed her eyes, and made a mad grab for the book buried in the pile. Snape tried to grab her wrist, but she moved over and snatched it. She flipped it open on her knee, and began searching for this picture. Snape grabbed the edge, and she managed to hold it side ways and flip through all the pages before he jerked it away again.  
  
"There isn't a single picture in here!" She blurted. There was no doubt now, he was red all over.  
  
"That's not the same book!"  
  
"I saw the title, you git!" She let go of the book and Snape staggered backwards a bit. "Now the question is; what was so important that you that you would read a book upside down, not know about it, then lie about it," She grinned mischievously.  
  
"Nothing that concerns you,"  
  
"But is it something that would entertain me in knowing? I would settle for that."  
  
His eyes darkened. "You would be humored by it most likely, yes."  
  
Lydia decided to drop it.  
  
"Sorry. Didn't know it was so personal."  
  
They just sat there for a few minutes. Lydia couldn't take it; the silence was about to deafen her.  
  
"Snape? Could you pass me-" She pointed to a book at his side, "that?"  
  
"Sure, Granger." He tossed it into the air.  
  
"You know," Lydia said, catching the book. "Being alone together for a month in the restricted section of the library after hours allows a first name basis."  
  
Snape frowned. "You have a first name?"  
  
"Shut up." Lydia frowned. "That hurts, you know."  
  
"Alright, but to do that we must be properly introduced. And I really don't think I know your first name," He grinned. Lydia looked at her hands. She was starting to feel that tingle in her stomach again.  
  
"Niceties and everything?" Snape nodded and stood. He makes it look easy, thought Lydia, as she struggled to get on her feet. She sighed. "I feel stupid," She said, looking around.  
  
"Well, you look s-" His sentence was interrupted by Lydia's hand being flung into his face, like she was expecting him to shake her hand like that.  
  
"I am about to shake your hand, don't you dare insult me." Lydia removed her hand.  
  
"Alright. Severus Snape." He stuck out his hand too.  
  
"Lydia Minerva Granger."  
  
His clear expression faltered. "As in Minerva McGonagall?"  
  
Lydia was finding it very hard to not laugh. She had seen that particular expression before.  
  
"Do you know how many people have asked me that? I am not related to her, just named after her. She named me that, in fact. When she found me." Snapes figure distinctly relaxed a bit.  
  
"You mean Lydia Minerva Granger isn't even your real name?"  
  
"I don't know, but the surname Granger is very familiar." She stuck her hand out into his. She really didn't want to talk about her past, or lack thereof. "Nice to meat you, Severus Snape."  
  
"You too, I guess, Lydia Granger."  
  
~*~  
  
"Damn!" James threw his wand down onto the ground. "This will never work!" He looked down at the piece of parchment in front of him. Sirius was at his side in seconds.  
  
"What's wrong with it now?" Now Peter and Remus had joined them.  
  
Sirius pointed down at the map. "First, it says that there is a Hermione Granger! How can that be? I checked, and there is no other Granger in this school besides Lydia. And, not only that, but this Hermione Granger is in the library-" He pointed to a room on the map of the school. "With Snape! And, they are so close that the dots are touching. Now either the map is getting names wrong, or making up people," He smacked the piece of parchment that was the map, "Or this Hermione Granger is Lydia Granger and she is alone with Snape in the library!" He hit the map repeatedly, "Touching! This close!" He squished his thumb and pointer finger together to indicate the space. "This close!!"  
  
Remus sat down heavily. "You know, I am beginning to think that this map is never going to work."  
  
Sirius groaned. "We are going to need to re-charm the whole thing!"  
  
Peter shook his head. "It would be funny if it was telling the truth." Remus and Sirius shot him murderous looks. "In a horribly disgusting, terrible sort of way, of course."  
  
"Lydia would have to be stupid to be doing that," Remus looked down at the dots on the map labeled 'Hermione Granger' and 'Severus Snape' as the dots got closer. "Absolutely bonkers."  
  
~*~  
  
Dear God! Am I the only one who re-reads through my own stories and laughs? I laugh so hard! My own writing! I leave it for a month or a hundred, come back and read, and LAUGH so hard! Please, tell me if I am just pathetic or if it is really funny or not.  
  
Please tell me! What should I do? So? What do you think? Do you think that the story should end up in Snape's favor? Or Remus'? Any crazy ideas? I can fit just about any of them in, if you want me to! Either way, someone is going to be very sad. -_- Thanks to the people who reviewed! I need motivation. Sorry this chapter was soo short! I couldn't think of anything that would make it better! This has GOT to be one of my ALL TIME favorite chapters, in my all time favorite ficcy. ^_^ Yes, I am pathetic.  
  
I love you all! 


	8. Chapter 7

Messing With History  
  
By Mae Noelle  
  
~*~  
  
Disclaimer: *sigh* Is this really necessary? Alright, see my stuff? Neither do I.  
  
Please review! And make suggestions too! I love suggestions.  
  
Alright - a warning - I wrote this chapter under the influence of leftover valentines chocolates, Pepsi, and a variety of alternative rock songs. Don't laugh. I'm serious.  
  
I would like to thank Duck, my new bestest friend, for some really, really good ideas you will find in here, like the part when - wait! If I tell you, I will ruin the story!  
  
*Sigh* this is a bit of a revision, thanks to 'Pen and Paper' and 'Orenda'. Thank you guys for the reviews- they told me about some major errors - and so I came back to fix them. After re-reading it, I wondered how stupid I was for not catching them myself. well, anyways. On with the story.  
  
This story is mostly from Hermione's point of view, ok?  
  
~*~  
  
Ch. 7 - A Christmas Ball  
  
~*~  
  
Lydia crept up the stairs quietly. She had stayed out last night particularly long. Snape could be funny when he wanted to. She had nearly killed herself trying to restrain herself and be quiet.  
  
Of course, they had made a deal that their secret 'friendship' would remain, of course, secret. They had to act a bit more rude to each other all the other times, because everyone was definitely getting suspicious.  
  
She crawled into bed, making sure that no one noticed.  
  
~*~  
  
Remus turned and looked down the hall, staring at the retreating figure of Snape.  
  
"He ignores us for almost a month, then he goes and hexs us all," Remus shook his head. "I was almost beginning to expect nice, peaceful walks through the corridors."  
  
"Darn, I was starting to think that he was sick and dying or something." Sirius began to tut.  
  
Lydia's immediate thought was to say something like, 'that's not nice', but that would require too much unwanted explanation.  
  
"Yah, but I would miss an excuse to hex someone. If he was always passive there would be no arguing, and we would end up against each other, and, of course, we wouldn't be able to hurt Se - Snape himself." Lydia said, trying to keep her cool, and of course blowing it.  
  
"Se-Snape?" Remus laughed. Lydia glared and attempted to punch him on the shoulder.  
  
She had almost called him Severus. She might as well have gone up there and kissed Snape in front of them. Either one, she would be probably be deemed irrational, mental, nutso, stupid, crazy, etc.  
  
Lily crept up behind her during her little thinking period.  
  
"So you excited?!"  
  
What?  
  
"Huh? About what?"  
  
"Duh! About the Christmas Ball! Only three days to go!" That's right! She had totally forgot - temporarily. A strong gurgling filled her inside.  
  
"Of course I am excited! Who could not be? So, you are going to show me that dress charm tonight, right?" Lydia had made sure to tell Snape that she would probably be busy for the next night or two. Or three, actually.  
  
Lily nodded. Lydia suddenly burst into giggles.  
  
"I can't wait!" She breathed. "I just would-" She stopped and glanced over.  
  
"Just would what?" Remus turned around.  
  
"I just would like better dress robes is all," She thought up quickly. That was close.  
  
"Oh well! Lets get some food. I'm starving." Lydia led the way to their seats in the Great Hall.  
  
~*~  
  
The rest of the next two days past by a bit more quickly then Lydia would have liked.  
  
"Lets go get ready! C'mon, lets go!" Lily leapt out of bed and made for the bathroom.  
  
"We have eleven hours, Lily. Eleven hours." Lydia yawned, trying to wipe the sleep from her eyes. Lily came bounding out of the bathroom.  
  
"Yesh! Omly eweven 'ours! 'Oo much 'o 'o, c'mo!" Lily sputtered, her toothbrush hanging out of her mouth. Lydia rolled her eyes. It was too early.  
  
"Let's just go to bed for a couple of hours-"  
  
"NO!"  
  
"Alright. I'm up, now we get to spend ten hours and forty eight minutes getting ready."  
  
Lydia walked into the bathroom, and prepared at least an hour-long bath.  
  
"Kill just a few hours," She muttered.  
  
"What was that?" Lily asked, folding all the clothes in her reach. "What am I going to do?" She sighed frustratingly and threw all the folded clothes on the ground, then went back to folding them all again.  
  
"I'll only be in the bath for a couple of hours," Lydia sliped into the bathroom, engulfed in the nice hot steam filling the room. She glanced in the mirror, trying to picture herself in nice dress robes.  
  
"Dearie, how do you plan on taming your hair?" She jumped a bit at the mirrors voice. She had momentarily forgotten that they could talk.  
  
"I have no clue," She suddenly remembered a straitening charm. Wondering why that had just slipped into her head so easily, she pulled her hair into a bun. Yes, it looked nice, and if it were straight. she let go of her bushy - but not as bushy as it had been - hair. It would look nice that way.  
  
She gratefully sank into the bath, letting her mind wander to past events. Hopefully she could think straight about her more recent past without recalling disturbing bits and pieces of her lost past. Or future, whatever came first.  
  
She smiled, remembering the many-an-hour Lydia and Severus had spent arguing about that. According to him, the future her must have come first, because how else could she possibly get into the past? She thought that the past one, technically, must have come first, because who knows, if the past one hadn't been there the whole future would be different and the future her might not even be there.  
  
Privately she agreed with him, and made an argument just to be difficult, but she wasn't going to let him know that.  
  
Sometimes she wondered why Severus and the marauders quarreled so. Severus wasn't that horrible, well, he was, but if you knew how you could manage not to hate him all the time. At least she could. Or maybe he wasn't even trying to be rude around her, and his hostility toward her in the library was what he considered nice.  
  
Oh well.  
  
And when he did try he could be somewhat considerate, him helping her find books proved that. Even if he was doing it just to get her to go away quickly as possible, he was doing it in a considerate way. Even if she didn't really read read those books he gave her, they were useful.  
  
And he was kind of cute, when you got past the hair and his sour expression.  
  
There was a loud splash as she suddenly sat up strait. I mustn't be thinking like that! He is rude, is unbelievably horrible to my friends, he is rude, can't answer a damn question without a rude comeback, and he's rude-  
  
She sighed. It didn't really matter. She was going to go to the ball, the highlight of the year, with Remus, and she was going to have fun. No memories to interrupt, no rude people, no nothing. If that is possible.  
  
How did this discussion in her head get so deeply set on Snape anyway?  
  
It had to be at least an hour now.  
  
She looked up at a clock in the bathroom. Five minutes. She glanced at the door. She could sit here for just a little longer.  
  
~*~  
  
With all the necessities done Lily and Lydia prepared their outfits.  
  
"I cannot wait! Alright, help me with this-" Lydia held up her dress. "Now show me how to figure out the best color for me, so that we can change the color of my dress robe,"  
  
"Alright! Here-" She took a piece of cloth, muttered 'testor' and tapped her wand on it, and then handed it to Lydia. "Hold this. Now, I am going to say 'acclaro coloro persona' which will change that cloth the color to the color that best matches you."  
  
Lydia clasped the piece of cloth.  
  
"Acclaro coloro persona!" She flicked her wrist at the general direction of Lydia, a bright white jet of light shooting out and hitting her in the forehead. The piece of cloth seemed to flicker a bit, then turned a dark green.  
  
"Oooh," Lydia eyed the beautiful color as it was ripped out of her hands.  
  
"Give me your robe," She stuck out her hand, her eyes on the cloth. She muttered something indistinct that sounded like 'imitor' and the robe turned the same color as the piece of cloth. "Here you go!" She smiled wide, obviously proud of her magical feat.  
  
"Its beautiful! Thank you so much, Lily!" Lydia reached over and hugged her friend.  
  
"Your welcome. Now, lets go get some food. I'm starving, and we missed breakfast."  
  
Lydia and Lily speed down the stairs, out into the corridors, and into the Great Hallway.  
  
Lydia sat down next to Remus, patting the empty chair next to her.  
  
"Sit, Lily, sit! We have to hurry up and get back up there. Only seven hours left!" Lily sat down heavily, picking up her fork and immediately jabbing it into her food.  
  
The boys all turned- in fact, all of the Gryffindor table (or who had stayed over Christmas break- so, everyone) stared at the girls bolting down their lunch. The other girls were all doing something along the same lines, if they were even down here to eat at all.  
  
"Bye!" Shouted the two girls as they sprang up from the table and made their way out of the great hall again.  
  
Lydia giggled as she heard James turn to Remus and mutter, "Were they even here at all?"  
  
"Do we even have anything else to do?" Cried Lily, flinging herself down onto her perfected bed, in the midst of a perfected room, a result of too many spare hours.  
  
"No," Lydia admitted. She stared down at her robes. "Lets get dressed then, and stare at the clock for the remainder of the time." Lydia quickly undressed and threw on her robes. She would have six hours to perfect that look.  
  
"Does this make me look fat?" Lily looked down at herself, smoothing out the wrinkles. "I swear- look at my waist, look at it,"  
  
"Oh, quit blubbering!" Lydia turned to the bathroom, sucking in some air, and prepared for the many hour long feat of taming her hair. "Now wish me luck!" She cried through the bathroom door.  
  
~*~  
  
"Come on, lets go! Down, down." Lily propped her hair once more and bounded down the stairs.  
  
It was seven o'clock, the official start of the Christmas Ball.  
  
Lydia bounded down the stairs after Lily. Lily looked over her shoulder.  
  
"C'mon!" She whispered. "I can see Remus," She winked.  
  
"Shut up," Lydia mouthed.  
  
The Gryffindor common room was crowded with people talking, couples littered here and there.  
  
Lydia looked across the common room. James, Sirius, and Remus made their way over to Lily and Lydia. James grinned and extended his elbow to Lily.  
  
"My, you look stunning," Lily sighed and turned to Lydia, giving her a sad smile, and took his arm. "Shall we go?" They started off together through the portrait. Lydia stared after them. She turned when she felt someone looking at her.  
  
Remus took a step toward her. "Wow." He stated.  
  
Lydia wished he would stop staring. She only straightened her hair, put it up in a bun, found the perfect robes, or color anyway, allowed Lily to apply make-up to her face, and - well, the point was she wished he would stop staring.  
  
"You look very beautiful." It seemed that it took a lot out of him to say that. Lydia felt red creeping up her neck. She tried to mutter something like thank you, but it wouldn't come out. He extended his arm. Lydia glanced backwards for a quick second, and saw Sirius staring pitifully down at the floor. She took Remus' arm, and they left out the portrait.  
  
Lydia turned and smiled at Remus. He looked a bit nervous; he was almost looking sickly. He returned the smile.  
  
"So have you been to any other balls before?" Remus looked to the side. Lydia narrowed her eyes. The funny thing was, well, that she had been wondering the same thing earlier, as she was getting ready.  
  
"No. You?"  
  
"Nope." He sighed.  
  
Lydia could have sworn that there were crickets chirping somewhere amongst the suits of armor...  
  
"I cannot think of anything to talk about." Lupin sighed again.  
  
"Lets hurry up and get to the Ball. This peace and quiet's unnerving,"  
  
"Yes, lets." They un-linked and started running for the Great Hall. They rounded a corner and immediately slowed to a walk. Remus made a quiet snide remark. Lydia looked up. Of course, they had just about run into Snape and his partner. That what's-her-face was sneering.  
  
"Watch it, this is a new robe," She spat. Lydia raised an eyebrow as she took a step back.  
  
"Couldn't tell by the way it looks on you." She snapped.  
  
"Just get out of our way, or I will hex you!" That girl made to barge right through them.  
  
"I don't even know your name! Why would I let you hex me?" Remus grabbed Lydia's arm.  
  
"Let's go, James and Lily are basically screaming for us to come over already,"  
  
"Just let me hurt her! I don't even need my wand!" Lydia tried to brake away towards the girl, an amused looking Snape at her side. Or rather closer to her side then anyone around, and he was about ten feet closer towards the Great Hall entrance.  
  
"Get over here, right now!" Lily was walking her way over to Lydia and Remus, who was still had a firm grasp on her arm. Lydia finally decided to turn into the Great Hall. She gasped. It was beautiful.  
  
"There's no long tables!"  
  
"Well duh." Lily and Remus now tried to shove her in. "What did you expect? Us all to eat our dinner in our dress robes, while playing music, and call it a Ball?" There was tons of little tables along the sides of the Great Hall, and There were four huge, incredibly huge, beautifully decorated Christmas trees in the corners. There was a large doorway leading outside to a little garden that she could have sworn a million galleons on was not there before, too. The bewitched ceiling was clear, or what they could see, and the stars twinkled brilliantly down upon them. There were candles floating above each of the little tables, and people were already in most of them.  
  
"Hurry up, or there will be no tables left!" They hurried off toward a table that James was sitting at. It was larger then the others - all of them could only seat four or two people, this one could seat eight. "You should have seen the heads turn as James attempted to push two of the tables quietly together," She laughed. "I thought McGonagall was going to come over here and start screaming at us,"  
  
"Alright! Here comes Peter - and - what's her name? Oh yah, Chariss, and there's Sirius and Narcissa."  
  
Lydia snapped her head around. "Narcissa Malfoy?"  
  
"No, Narcissa Alowitt. Malfoy? What in the world made you think of that?" Lily sat down on the end seat of the table. Lydia sat down across from her.  
  
"Dunno."  
  
"Ohh, one of those things again, eh? Well, she is a Ravenclaw, and, actually, I think she would do as a Malfoy. Brainless, in my opinion. Should have been in Hufflepuff."  
  
Lydia nodded. Remus came over, after having been talking with Dumbledore. If possible, he looked a bit paler.  
  
"Lydia," He started, and suddenly Lily decided to go get a drink with James. She sighed. "I will be needing to leave in a bit." Lydia opened her mouth, "And I was wondering if you would like to dance,"  
  
He held out his hand. What was this all about? She took it and he pulled her off her chair.  
  
The little band, which was set up along one of the edges of the great hall, saw the two people coming up and decided to start then. It was some famous band, and everyone else was quite happy about their coming, but she really didn't know who they were.  
  
And they decided to play a slow song, naturally. Lydia cursed mentally. If someone thought she looked stupid enough two-stepping it, they had to see her waltz. It was sad, really, or at least in her opinion. And the close thing?  
  
Remus didn't seem to be enjoying this either. Lydia hesitantly placed her hand on his shoulder, and her other in his. If they just stood there, they would look even stupider then if they were tripping over themselves. Okay, maybe not, but you never know until you try.  
  
After they had gotten situated right, and on there way, other people started to come out, so they didn't feel as stupid. Remus was obviously trying to hold her as far away as possible while being this close.  
  
"Why do you have to go?" Lydia finally got out, glancing around at some couple laughing as they danced across the room. He gulped.  
  
"Well, won't hurt to tell you. Tonight, is, well, the full moon." He glanced down. Lydia gasped. A quiet gasp, mind you. She looked up at the starry ceiling.  
  
He laughed, in spite of himself. "Relax. I'm not going to turn right now. The moon isn't even up yet, so Dumbledore said it would be alright to let me stay for a while."  
  
"That's not- I wasn't thinking that-" Now I feel horrible! Now she had to give him a hug. He looked like he really, really needed one. "Oh! Remus," She stopped suddenly and put her arms around him. "I'm sorry!" No matter how she liked him, you can't exactly ignore the poor boy, just moving around about to be a werewolf in probably an hour, and absolutely miserable about it.  
  
"Er- its alright, really, I don't care-" Denial. She shook her head. "C'mon. Lets get something to eat." Lydia narrowed her eyes. "Really." She sighed and followed him, along with many, many eyes that were very curious after that little outburst.  
  
Sirius began to chat with his partner, Narcissa, both of whom were as far away from Lydia's end of the table as they could be. She rolled her eyes.  
  
"So what should we order?" Lydia jumped at the sudden sound of Lily's voice. She hadn't seen her.  
  
Remus eyed the list. "I want everything,"  
  
"Me too," Sighed James.  
  
Lydia took a look at her list. She saw what she wanted and put her menu down. "Salmon Filet!" She said, and it appeared on her plate. Everyone's heads swiveled around to see what she'd done.  
  
"How'd you know that?" Asked Lily, in awe. Lydia shrugged, and began to eat. There were various pops coming from nowhere as people ordered their food, and much chatter.  
  
Right in the middle of a potato, Lydia saw Remus nod at some person behind her. He started to get up.  
  
"Gotta go. See you later." He smiled sweetly at Lydia, not even giving her a chance to jump up and hug him again (she couldn't exactly say anything with half a potato in her mouth).  
  
"Where's he going?" Lily looked back as the sandy haired kid with the dark blue robes retreated with Dumbledore, talking avidly about something. James coughed, and he shook his head.  
  
"I don't know," Lydia said slowly.  
  
Lily got up and stretched. "Lets dance, James." James vigorously shook his head, but ended up on the dance floor anyway. Soon almost all the tables were empty, everyone full and happy, dancing, or over talking somewhere. Except her, of course.  
  
Great.  
  
It probably wasn't as bad as spending the Ball in the shrieking shack as a werewolf, but still. That has got to be a major problem for him, she thought suddenly. Imagine one night he is with a girl and- she shivered. Or he gets married, say, and his wife wants to do something, and then, poof. That has to suck. She sighed.  
  
What felt like hours later (but really only about fifteen minutes) Sirius came back to the table, alone and mad looking. He just sat there for a few minutes, and finally looked up, meeting Lydia's staring gaze. She quickly turned to Lily and James, even Lily, in spite of herself, was laughing as they messed up.  
  
She gazed out longingly at the many couples, having a wonderful time, just like she had been thinking she would. There was a tap at her shoulder. She looked back.  
  
"Yes, Sirius?" Lydia wanted to go back to wallowing in her self-pity properly, but, alas, that could not be done with a person prowling over your head.  
  
He extended his hand. "Care to dance?"  
  
Great. Can't really refuse, now can I?  
  
"Sure," She got up and followed him onto the dance floor. At least it was an upperish beat song.  
  
Suddenly it stopped, and people around her clapped. That song was NOT going to end then, that witch ended it there just because she knew that I was coming onto the floor!  
  
A slow song started, naturally. Lydia was so into thinking up the worst horrible names for that woman that she barely noticed that they were already dancing. She suddenly noticed how close she was to Sirius, and began to feel the red coming up her neck and a shiver running down her spine. She suppressed it though, for if she started wriggling around that close she would most certainly end up in a position she did not want to be in.  
  
Well he certainly doesn't hold back, she thought, as he dipped her. He is probably doing this because I wasn't paying attention and he thought that I just didn't care... just wonderful... unless he's always this - er - happy...  
  
"Excuse me, may I cut in?" Apparently the song had ended, and apparently Snape wanted either to dance with Sirius, or with her. Thank god!  
  
Sirius threw Snape a disgusted look. "What-"  
  
"I insist," Snape smirked. Lydia suppressed a relief sigh.  
  
The next song started, another slow song. Maybe Sirius and Snape would duke it out while she went back to the table to wallow in self pity. Then, hopefully, the next song. Whatever Snape just said, though, seemed to be it, cause he threw Lydia and Snape a look, and walked off to their table.  
  
She really, really wished that she had heard what he had just said.  
  
"Thank you, you just saved me," Lydia let out her long suppressed sigh.  
  
"I'm not doing this for you,"  
  
"Thank you, you just saved me," She repeated. He raised an eyebrow.  
  
"If you insist. Dance?" The band had started playing another slow song. Better then sitting alone at a table with Sirius, and most definitely better then dancing with him.  
  
"I thought you agreed for me to dance a while back," Lydia said, raising her eyebrows, and nodding her head towards Sirius. He shrugged.  
  
"Niceties are what make the world go round, Granger."  
  
Lydia raised an eyebrow. "If you insist. So, why risk coming near me in Public? Did you just loose your whole world back there?" She looked over her shoulder where she guessed he had been sitting. "Well?"  
  
"Oh, yes. Sure." She put her hand on his shoulder (how many times have I done this already?) as he gingerly placed his on her waist. No reason to be nervous, it seemed more modest, at least, but not so shy - like he doesn't even care. What was it that she felt in his touch? Nerves? Modesty? It wasn't quite shyness. Disinterest, maybe, she thought and sighed, dropping her glance to the floor.  
  
"My date decided to go off snogging with Lucius," He made a disgusted face. "So I decided to leave. You looked a little to comfortable with Sirius over here, so I decided to come over here and shake it up."  
  
"Wow. You care. And I was not too comfortable with Sirius, I was thinking about something else, and he just decided to squeeze me in there so tight that I couldn't even breath. I was just thinking about how I was going to tell him off when you came along, and did a better job of it." She took a breath. "So have any ideas for explaining this, then?"  
  
"Yes, I came up with a few on my way over here. Decided to charm you with my incredible wits to make Black and Potty jealous. And then dump you and make you feel like crap."  
  
"Brilliant. Any ideas for me?"  
  
"Not right this moment, no." He smirked. "Think up your own brilliant ideas. Wait, I forgot, your not capable of such."  
  
Lydia sighed as they twirled past Lily and James.  
  
"They are starring, I had better think up something,"  
  
"Just use the-" He put on a high voice "'I-can-dance-with-who-ever-I-want' excuse."  
  
She glared. "They would try and put me in St. Mongos, claiming I had gone insane." She looked over thoughtfully, "Wait - I could say you put some damn potion on me, or a charm, or something."  
  
"Or you could just say that your two dates dropped you and you got so bored that you couldn't not except my offer."  
  
"I would have had to have sunk pretty low." she sighed.  
  
"You did," he nodded toward Sirius. "If I waited a minute longer he would have been on top of you."  
  
She nodded.  
  
"Probably- but they would think that him on top of me would be better then you next to me. Let alone dancing with."  
  
"Are you trying to say that you don't want to dance?"  
  
Lydia glanced at the lady playing the music. "Were they playing this song when we started?"  
  
He shrugged. She glanced at that woman again. The lady winked, and began another slow song. "That woman is scaring me," Lydia said suddenly, having decided that there was a conspiracy going on.  
  
"I get the feeling that you probably shouldn't come over to my table, nor vise versa, Sirius is looking murderous." He glanced down at Lydia. "Where is Lupin, anyway?"  
  
"We could go out there," She pointed to the archway that had been magically placed there overnight.  
  
He frowned. "That was a deliberate change of subject,"  
  
"I think its a garden out there or something. I don't think many people are out there yet."  
  
He sighed. "Alright. I won't pursue the subject, but don't expect me to do this every time." He took his hand off of her waist and started for the arch.  
  
"Why thank you. Consideration I would have never thought possible from you."  
  
"I'm sure that there is a lot of things you don't know about. Amazing, isn't it?  
  
"If I know nothing then you are one notch lower then a flobberworm."  
  
"Flobberworms more brilliant then I? They must be more intelligent then I thought." He said, allowing himself a smirk.  
  
Lydia stepped under the huge arch placed in the wall. She expected there to be a cold chill rustling her hair and whipping her hair around. There was a wall like structure in the archway, like liquid glass. Snape placed his hand on it, and it went right through. She placed her head out. She gasped. It was wonderfully warm out there, like midsummer's eve.  
  
"Probably some charm," Snape muttered as he stepped through the glass-like barrier. Lydia stepped out. She immediately rushed over to a beautiful rose bush on the side of a path. Then she walked over to the other side, touching and smelling all of the flowers.  
  
"It's like its summer out here! No snow! Flowers!" She sighed as she picked up yet another flower.  
  
"I don't think they would have made a door out to a frozen garden," The corners of Snapes mouth twitched. "I didn't know that some one could be so, captivated, by such things," He said slowly, watching Lydia dance around the bushes of flowers, enraptured by the sight and smell of them.  
  
She sighed in another flower. "And a fountain!" Lydia grabbed Snapes arm and pulled him toward a large, white marble fountain. She sat on the edge. Snape looked around before sitting down a bit awkwardly next to her. She pulled another flower off of a bush next to the fountain and took a big whiff of it before stuffing in behind her ear.  
  
Lydia looked off in the other directions from the fountain. It seemed like the paths formed a giant cross, with the fountain in the middle of it, and different bushes and flowers on the side. Probably some other smaller paths winding around some other spots.  
  
"Want to go explore?" Lydia stood up. Most likely no one would see them around there.  
  
Snape looked up, raising his eyebrow imploringly. "If you insist." He joined Lydia's side as she started for the closest path. Lydia felt his eyes on her, and she looked up. He quickly turned and closely examined a bush.  
  
Snape suddenly turned around. "Why are we out here?"  
  
"You didn't want to dance anymore, and there was no way in hell that I was going to go sit next to Sirius after dancing with you."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Lydia raised an eyebrow. "Why?" She spoke slowly.  
  
"I was just asking a simple question. Do I need to have a reason for everything?" Lydia thought at this.  
  
"Yes. You do, because you do have a reason for everything. Whether or not it is stupid." Lydia smirked. "Or embarrassing," She added, just for good measure.  
  
He sighed. "There really was no reason."  
  
Lydia leaned over, watching Snape pick at the bushes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"  
  
He spun on the spot, ending up about an inch away from Lydia's face. She stared, wondering when he was going to back up. She went to straighten her back as she realized she was still leaning over.  
  
He took a step forward. Lydia wondered slightly why he would be doing that - they were pretty close as it was. He stared right back at her, his black eyes sending shivers down her spine. She suddenly wondered why she had thought that he was even ugly in the first place.  
  
Now he was leaning down. There was almost no space in between them. She didn't dare breath.  
  
Then he backed up, turned, and started to walk away, down the path that they had come from.  
  
Whether she was relieved or disappointed, she didn't know.  
  
All that could be certain while she stood there, slightly swaying on the spot, was that she was wondering what the hell had just happened.  
  
~*~  
  
Oooh hoo hoo! Got some people, didn't I? Admit it! Admit it! You are all very dissapointed, aren't ya? Aren't ya? Admit it! Who wants more? You do? Aww! Ok, but only if you review first.  
  
Thanks for all the reviews! I really, really appreciate it! Even if I don't deserve it.  
  
Oh, and, just a bit of advertisement: Go and read Kary Starr's Black Prospects. It is, in my opinion, one of the better Snape romances. Nothing is rushed, which I think is the only problem with most Snape fics (including mine) and in the last chapter it is quite interesting. I don't think it has as much reviews as it should, and you can find it under my favorite stories. Or go here: 


	9. Chapter 8

Messing With History  
  
By Mae Noelle  
  
~*~  
  
Disclaimer: See my stuff? Hah, neither do I.  
  
Please review! And make suggestions too! I love suggestions.  
  
This story is mostly from Hermione's point of view, ok?  
  
Man, I am so sorry that this took forever to get out. I had the worst, most horrible writers block. I just couldn't write. It was horrible, just sitting on the computer, waiting for some wonderful inspiration to hit me. Plus, I had been caught up at five in the morning by my mother, who had said good-night to me at ten, so she was freaking out that I had been up so long on the computer typing. So she grounded me. (but I got chapter seven done, so it was okay) And then I only got one hour on the computer a day after I was ungrounded.  
  
Well, again, thanks to the Duck you now get to read a wonderful chapter, instead of the crap I had been planning. Now - all together: thank you Duck! I have a surprise for you Ducky, by the way. Hehehe!  
  
~*~  
  
Ch. 8 - Midnight Questions  
  
~*~  
  
Lydia woke up slowly and quietly.  
  
It took her a few minutes to remember why she felt so. crappy.  
  
She slowly pushed aside the curtains surrounding her bed, not really expecting to see any great, wonderful sight jumping up to meet her. A voice to the side interrupted Lydia's less then peaceful thoughts. She peered over at the shadow moving around inside the bed next to hers.  
  
"You know, since it's Christmas, I will hold any questions about last night for later," Lily pushed aside her curtains and tried to catch Lydia's eye. Lydia whipped her head the other way, studying the incredibly interesting wall.  
  
"All right then." Lily said, pausing for a moment before she leapt out of her bed and pounced on her large pile of presents, and began to tear them apart.  
  
Lydia didn't dare look toward the foot of her bed.  
  
Of course, being found by the Hogwarts staff, she didn't have any parents, or family, that she knew of. She really didn't care that much about the presents, but the fact that there was no one to give them pushed a non- existing lump into her throat. Not something that she should be thinking about on Christmas Day.  
  
Lily looked over next to Lydia's bed. She turned back to her presents, then did a double take. "Are you going to open your presents?" Lily said, pointing towards the end of Lydia's bed. Lydia tore her gaze from her wall as her curiosity got the better of her. Lily was pointing to a pretty large pile of presents.  
  
"Oh," Lydia gasped, studying the pile on the floor. Her pile on the floor.  
  
"But who would-" Lily cut herself short, raising a hand to her open mouth. She looked up at Lydia, who hadn't noticed, and was still studying the pile. Lydia jumped off her bed and made for the pile, starting to pick off all the cards.  
  
"Dumbledore! Minerva! Flitswick! Sicily! Hagrid! Sprout!" She picked up some more cards, throwing the others in a little shower above her head.  
  
"All the professors sent you gifts?" Lily said, staring over at her pile.  
  
Lydia grinned. "Yep," She pulled out a thick book with quills attached to it. Seeing the look Lily wore on her face, Lydia added, "Minerva knows I love Arithmancy,"  
  
Lily pushed her boxes off to the side, and stood up. "Do you want to go down to the common room? James told me that he and the others had some gifts for us," Lily grinned mischievously. Lydia nodded and grabbed a box from under her bed. It held some things she had gathered throughout the school year that she thought would make perfect presents for the others.  
  
Lydia and Lily made their way down to the common room, arms filled with parcels. James waved over to them, motioning to some empty chairs that had been moved to form a little group. Remus and Sirius were in the middle of the little group, shoving all the presents into the middle. Lily walked over and dumped hers in.  
  
"C'mon," She whispered to Lydia, pointing to a pair of vacant chairs towards the end of the lopsided circle. "I promised to hold my questions, but it doesn't mean they won't." She raised her eyebrows. "Especially Sirius." Lily made a face that looked suspiciously like she was trying to hold back a smile. Lydia frowned.  
  
"Well, come on then, lets sit down. Here, lets sort these into piles." James rubbed his hands together. "That's a lot of presents- oh, that one's mine- here's one for Lily," James went around and passed out the presents from the middle. Lydia stared wide eyed at her five gifts. This means that I have twenty something gifts, she thought happily. How did it go from zero to twenty? She mentally shrugged and picked up her first card. James' gift for her.  
  
"Open my gifts first!" James stood up quickly, dislodging a pile at his feet. Lydia tore apart her gift.  
  
"Then mine!" Peter shouted.  
  
"Then mine!" Remus and Sirius chorused. Lydia just ignored them all, tearing the rapping off her presents, one by one, stopping to marvel at each.  
  
Lily oohed at her side. "Oh, James, thank you so much!"  
  
Many comments and explanations flew around for a while. Lydia thanked everyone that she had gotten a present from so far at least five times, and a bit more to Lily for a cute muggle hair things.  
  
"It goes like this," Lily explained, motioning her hands around in the air, while Lydia nodded, hoping she looked like she understood. "Now look at this, Lydia,"  
  
Lily held up what looked like a mini crystal ball. "It turns the color of the mood the person feels when holding it. And here is a chart that shows what the colors mean," Lily shoved the little ball into Lydia's hands.  
  
It turned a deep purple.  
  
Lily looked down at her chart, the ball, the chart, and then the ball in Lydia's hands again. Lydia raised an eyebrow.  
  
Lily shrugged. "It works!" Lily suddenly smiled evilly, looking around for eavesdroppers. "I shouldn't tell you this, but maybe I'll tell you later." Lydia nodded, wondering what she could be thinking of, then pulled apart the gift from Sirius. She took one rigged tug on a string, and a little book fell onto her lap.  
  
"Oo, a diary," Lily reached down at the book. Lydia snatched it. "You know what they say, don't you?" Lily grinned. Lydia sighed, and shook her head. "That only someone who doesn't know what to give you, and wants to know what you are thinking always would get you a diary. Heard it somewhere," Lily added, seeing the look on Lydia's face, and correctly interpreting it for a thinking-that-Lily-just-made-up-a-load-of-crap look.  
  
"Don't you have anything better to do then speculate about my love life? Or lack thereof?" Lydia said, rolling her eyes, hoping the conversation would be dropped.  
  
"Oh, you have something," Lily whispered, leaning over. "Last night proves that. The only thing I'm still guessing at is the different variations of the outcome." Lily dropped her smile and looked over to her little pile. "But I'm not going to talk about it."  
  
Lydia peered at her new diary. There was a little inscription, in silver, at the bottom. It said something in Latin.  
  
Lydia snapped her head up as she heard laughter. James was on the floor, along with Peter, laughing. Sirius was banging his head against the chairs arm. Remus had a weird look on his face.  
  
Lily grinned.  
  
Remus stood up suddenly, a couple of dog biscuits falling off his lap. "It's not really that funny," He said, getting up to put the book he gotten from Lydia down with a couple of his other presents.  
  
"Yes, it was." Sirius picked up his last present. "From Lydia; best for last, huh?" He said, looking up at Lydia. He opened it, a large book falling onto his lap. He picked it up, opening it halfway, eyeing it with a look of fear.  
  
James started howling with laughter as some dog biscuits fell onto Sirius' lap.  
  
"That was pretty funny, you know," Remus wiped a tear from his eye. "I forgive you now for that, Lydia, since you did it to him too."  
  
Peter picked up his last present, and immediately set it back down. "I think I will open that one later," Lydia grinned.  
  
Lydia turned to James, who was holding a package in front of him like a bomb.  
  
"I couldn't find any deer food for ya, James." She shook her head. "This joke was only for the dogs." Lydia winked at the lot of them.  
  
Lily grinned at Lydia. "Oh, Lydia, so you now you think of them as -"  
  
"You're taking it all the wrong way, Lily," Lydia said hastily, knowing that she couldn't tell Lily the secret about the boys' animangus forms, but didn't want Lily to think anything disturbing. "Don't even look into it."  
  
Lily shrugged. "What ever you say, Lydia,"  
  
Lydia looked over at James. He was white, and his mouth was open. So was Sirius'. Remus looked slightly quizzical, and Peter was eyeing Lydia.  
  
"Did we tell you?" Sirius shook his head.  
  
"We must have, right?" James turned to Remus. "We told her about Remus, so- "  
  
"No, she 'just knew', remember?" Peter narrowed his eyes.  
  
"We probably did tell her." Sirius sighed. "We don't have any more secrets left, do we?"  
  
"What are you people talking about?" Lily turned to James. "You aren't making sense!" Everyone turned to James.  
  
"Er... maybe I'll tell you later," The common room sat in silence for a minute, when only a few other students around them gazed quizzically in their direction.  
  
Lydia stood up. "Want to go put some of these things upstairs?" She said cheerily to Lily. Lily nodded.  
  
~*~  
  
James, Sirius, Remus, Lydia, Lily, and Peter made their way down to the Great Hall, trying to avoid tripping or getting lost in the stream of people heading that way.  
  
Lydia broke apart, heading up to the professors' head table to say thanks to the Professors. McGonagall smiled brightly at the sight of her. "Happy Christmas, Lydia!"  
  
Lydia smiled at the sight of all the teachers turning to smile and wave at her. Except for Professor Trelawney, or what ever her name was. For some reason Lydia really didn't like her. Nor did that over grown bug like her.  
  
"How'd yeh like yer fudge?" Hagrid grinned, along with many of the other staff.  
  
"Now, I expect you put that Arithmancy book to good use," McGonagall said, peering at Lydia over her glasses. "No stray Quidditch when you could be studying, Lydia." McGonagall gave Lydia one last smile before turning to a conversation with Dumbledore.  
  
Lydia returned all the smiles, wondering how she had managed to almost forget about all of them here until Christmas morning. She just walked around smiling for a while, not really hearing all the bits of conversations the teachers were sharing with her. It took her a while to understand the conversations that she had at the Gryffindor table. She didn't open any crackers, either. Lily offered her the end of about fifty, of course, but Lydia found her mind wandering onto other things.  
  
Everyone felt all full and well fed at the end of dinner, with no thoughts in their heads except to be in bed and asleep.  
  
But Lydia did.  
  
She had to get down to the library.  
  
~*~  
  
She walked into the library, careful to be incredibly quiet. Lydia peered past the opened doors, looking out into the giant room before making a swift run for the restricted section, a mini package under her arms.  
  
Lydia had not used the invisibility cloak, because it would cause her more trouble that what it was worth. Especially if James found out and decided to go asking why she had taken it. And Lily knew that she had taken it before down to the library, hadn't she? Maybe not. But if she did, she would be able to add two and two together. Or what if she gets caught, and she gets James' cloak taken away?  
  
She nearly screamed as she just about ran into Snape while in her pessimistic thoughts, who was standing in the aisle she had turned into.  
  
"Oh, hello," Lydia gasped, just standing there. An image of the night before suddenly popped into her mind.  
  
Well, if he really wanted to talk about it, a voice in the back of her head said, then he could, but as far as she was concerned she would just forget about it and never bring it up.  
  
Lydia carefully glanced over to where he was standing, thinking that for some reason she might be able to read the look on his face this time.  
  
"Hello." Well, at least he didn't walk right out, or not answer, or just stare at her, or do something drastic, or -  
  
Lydia was just starting to think that maybe she should just turn around and make her way out of there, but finally decided against it. She suddenly remembered the package she was holding, and scooted it across the floor to Snape.  
  
Seeing him eye the parcel suspiciously she said, "A late-ish Christmas present."  
  
Lydia turned around to the bookshelf, not wanting to be found in the awkward position of just standing there watching him. She looked around slowly.  
  
He was pulling at a string around the present playfully, obviously thinking about something. Lydia was starting to wonder why she had even come to the library at all, but Snape's sudden movement evaded her thoughts.  
  
"Happy late Christmas." He tossed a poorly wrapped package through the air to her.  
  
"Been carrying this around all day, have you?" Lydia grinned, glad she could find something to say that wasn't too friendly. It made the atmosphere feel more normal. Anything less might cause him to go running right out of the library. And, the decision to give her the gift was obviously a very, very hard one, so if she showed she was as pleased as she really was, then he might wish he hadn't given it to her.  
  
Confusing, but it made sense when she turned it over in her mind a few times.  
  
"And I could ask you the same. But I won't." He looked up, a little pile of wrappings falling down onto the floor next to him. "'Most Potent Potions'?" He turned the book over in his hands. "This looks like a good book." He slid down against a bookshelf, his legs folding underneath him, and began to flip through the pages.  
  
"Yep. Saw it, and immediately thought of you; things dying, blowing up, getting poisoned, all by potions. Thought that it would be perfect for you." She looked down, satisfied by her comment, and began to tear open her gift. Slowly tear it open - it was from Snape.  
  
A beautiful quill fell down into her lap as she pulled open the present. She picked it up slowly, turning it around in her hand. Some weird feather, red and gold and bits of orange in it. She went to move the trash pile she had made on the floor, and felt some more little things buried inside of it. A little blue bottle of ink, and a curious looking book.  
  
Snape looked up to see Lydia flipping through the empty pages of the book. "If you use that quill, with that ink, in that book," Snape started, explaining the gift as Lydia looked over it, "What ever you write will be transferred to a book I have (I have the same book somewhere in my trunk). So when you are bored during History of Magic, you can exchange insults with me instead of sleeping. Cheat on tests." He flipped over another page in his new book. "It's an interesting little thing I found one day in a little shop in Hogsmeade - and I thought to myself, 'Why, what gift could be better then one that she can use to talk to me with?'"  
  
"I feel so honored." Lydia grinned as she looked down at the green book. She hoped that she didn't look as delighted as she really felt.  
  
Little silver snakes were entwined along the back of the book, along the edges of the front, and up and down the spine. "Love the colors." She said, grinning. Snape nodded.  
  
"Of course. I knew that you would have to love those colors." He looked up mischievously. "Better then red and gold by far. I can almost see you bounding into your common room, boasting about your Slytheriny book that Snape gave you."  
  
"Sarcasm? Or are you being serious?" She turned the book upside down and flipped it over a couple of times. "So whatever I write, you will be able to read it, and respond to, right?"  
  
"It should work like that," He said uncertainly, "whatever I write in my book would show up in yours and vise versa. It might not work at a certain range, or something to that degree, but it should work in the castle." Snape lowered his book slightly and looked over at Lydia. "I haven't exactly tried it yet."  
  
"You know," She said slowly, a bit of exited hesitation creeping into her voice, "We would need to have code names just incase anyone gets a hold of one of our books. We - or at least I - don't want Malfoy or Sirius getting into one of these. That would be horrible."  
  
Snape raised an eyebrow. "Code names? Wouldn't Black be able to tell it was me just by the way I talk about him? Potter, Lupin, and Pettigrew too?"  
  
Lydia sighed. "Go ahead and say whatever you want about Peter. I never really liked him. And I don't think he really likes me." She held up her book. "Well? What name would you want?" Lydia leaned over her crossed legs, resting her head on her hands. "I think I would want something interesting, something no one would be able to guess belonged to me..."  
  
"And what name are you thinking of? Something like 'duck'?" Snape half whispered, rolling his eyes. "And I am going to say whatever I like about anyone, whether or not I have your permission, thank you very much."  
  
"Sure!" Lydia grinned, ignoring his last comment. "And you can be pig!" Snape narrowed his eyes. "What? Like you should be called raven or something? Or black soul-sucker? Or just blackie?"  
  
"I refuse to be called anything that has Black's name in it. Raven, though, doesn't sound to bad," He raised his hand to him mouth. "Maybe not the best, but it's not blackie." He raised his shoulders, putting on a grimace. "Blackie. That sounds, so..."  
  
"Fine then," Lydia snapped. "It was just a suggestion anyway. I mean, just because it would fit you perfectly... well, raven it is then. And I am duck. Great. Now that we have that down, what should we do now?"  
  
"We could actually try and find out what happened to you." Snape raised and eyebrow and spoke with a commanding tone, nodding over to the shelves of time traveling books. "You have been neglecting to do that for some time now."  
  
"You found out a while ago, remember? What do you expect of me now? To find out who I really am? That just isn't going to happen, Snape." Lydia shook her head. "Nope. I will probably never find out."  
  
"Well, you could try." Snape looked up at Lydia accusingly. "You never know, do you? And how would you feel later on in your life if you found out that the answer to everything was sitting right under your nose for a couple years of your life?"  
  
"If your theory is true, I might not be born for about a hundred years. Besides, I might just be a seer, or something of the sort, like some people think." She sighed, picking up her new quill and twirling it around with her fingers.  
  
"Well, maybe all that you are 'seeing' is all the things that happened or you knew about when you are going to be alive," Snape leaned his head back against the bookshelf. "What would be the last thing that you remembered that is the last thing that you remember... or the thing that you remembered that would represent the time period, or... damn, I can't even understand what I am saying." He shut his eyes. "Never mind. I am getting a headache trying to think up your past."  
  
"I never asked you to think up my past. You wanted to." Lydia looked up from her quill to stare at Snape. "Or did you forget that already?"  
  
"Well, I was basically forced to. To compare it so that you can understand it, it was like an arithmancy problem, just sitting right in front of you, doing nothing, waiting for you to figure it out. I couldn't just leave this for Black to help you with - I mean, I did this out of the kindness of my heart."  
  
"And why would you care if Sirius was helping me with my pitiful problems?" Lydia said, mostly just to keep the conversation going.  
  
"I don't like Black. I can't stand him. Potter mostly, but Black is up there on my hate list. Can you believe that he tried to kill me? Along with his other idiotic friends?" Lydia closed her eyes, forcing herself to stop staring at Snape talking, his features now starting to twist with anger.  
  
It was fascinating to watch, which was why she couldn't.  
  
"Yes, yes, I know, he told you to follow Remus down the tunnel to see what he was doing every month, and you displayed your idiocy by believing him and actually trying to go down the tunnel, and Remus almost killed you." Lydia's eyes snapped open. It seemed that Snape's had too, because he was now staring at her in a very peculiar way.  
  
"They told you about that, did they?" He said, now staring at the ground, eyeing it as if it too had tried to kill him. "Laughing and everything, I am sure, damn fools."  
  
"No - I mean, of course, sure, they were dumb, decided to tell me about it." She suddenly remembered that she hadn't told Snape about all her little knowings about that little group. Snape glanced up, his eyebrows furrowed.  
  
"This isn't one of those things that you just know, is it? But -" Snape sat up stiffly. "That would mean, that you," He closed his mouth rigidly, the corners of his mouth twitching most unnaturally.  
  
"Well, are you going to tell me or not?" Lydia said crossly, after a few moments silence. "I am sure it is a wonderful idea and all, but I won't be able to tell unless you tell me."  
  
"You probably have something to do with Black, or Lupin, Potter, or maybe even me, in the future." His lips barely moved as he spoke, as if he was trying to take back the words he was saying as he was saying them. "Perhaps related to one of them."  
  
Lydia snapped her head up. "Really? You think - you think so?" Lydia stared forward, focusing on the many different book spines, purposely avoiding Snapes gaze. She mentally tried to picture Remus, the Remus she danced with, being her father. or Grandfather. James and Lily. she knew so much about James and Lily, what if they were her parents in the future?  
  
"How else could you have 'just known'?" Snape said, and suddenly shut his book. "Tell me everything you remember, and maybe I can figure out where you came from sooner then you had hoped."  
  
Lydia turned her head to glare at Snape. "You figure out my past?"  
  
"Well, we, just tell me your damn memories. I want to see what your friends and I have to do with your past." He leaned back and thoughtfully put his hand to his chin. "It is like a big puzzle, isn't it? I love puzzles," He spoke quietly, staring forward at the books above Lydia's shoulder.  
  
"Well, I think that I had remembered about Remus being a werewolf, before they told me, and that they were -" Lydia stopped herself abruptly, before she spilt the animagus secret barely twenty four hours since she had officially 'known'. "And I can't tell you that, because I just remembered that you don't know about that. I don't know how, but I do." Lydia took in a deep breath, feeling a bit light-headed. "I also remember a lot of names that don't appear to exist right now - like, I remembered the name 'Draco Malfoy', because I had said it when I had passed out earlier in the year. I think. And other names, too. I remember the surname Granger, and - and I think. I remember something. about you," She finished her sentence slowly, looking over the green book in her hands.  
  
Snape tapped a long finger against his mouth, deep in thought. "Well, that is certainly interesting. I think that just made my headache worse then it was before, though."  
  
"Well then. I am really tired so, I think I will be going back to the Gryffindor tower. Good night. Oh," Lydia stood up slowly, picking up her quill, ink, and book along with herself. "Thanks for the present. Can't wait to use it." She grinned. Snape stood also, his book in his hand.  
  
"Yes, er, thank you, too," He furrowed his brow. "You know," He said slowly. "I don't think I have ever said that before." He half-grinned before walking right out of the aisle and out into the rest of the library.  
  
Lydia watched him leave for a few moments. She got the funny feeling in her stomach again, and wanted to run out after him. She ignored that instinct, of course.  
  
~*~  
  
"And where were you?" Lily jumped out of her bed, whispering slightly to the creeping figure in front of her. Lydia jumped about as high as Lily did, into the air. "I believe I get to ask my questions now!"  
  
Lydia was caught completely by surprise. She had no choice but to sit down and listen to Lily now. And if she didn't answer her questions, then Lily would just have to make up her own answers and tell herself that they were true, which would most certainly end up being worse then what the truth was. This was all happening too quickly.  
  
"Fine." Lydia hung her head as she sat down quietly on her bed.  
  
Lily rubbed her hands together, a mad gleam in her eyes. "Alright. Starting with last night! Why weren't you with Remus? Or Sirius, if not Remus?" Well, she obviously didn't find out about Remus' condition.  
  
Lydia certainly wasn't going to tell her about it.  
  
"Well, Remus got sick, and I did dance with Sirius. I will never, ever do that again." Lydia turned to look at the wall, a shiver going up her spine, as if she could almost feel Sirius' hands creeping down her waist again.  
  
"But why, why Lydia, why, did you go off with Snape?" Lily grabbed Lydia's face and turned it to face her.  
  
Lydia pried Lily's hand off of her. "What in the world are you talking about?" She wasn't going to tell anything unless she had to.  
  
"Maybe no one else happened to notice, but I saw you dancing with Snape. Don't even try and lie." Lily suddenly gasped. "He didn't, do anything to you? Did he? That son of a gun!" Lily narrowed her eyes.  
  
After a minute of silence, Lily said, "Please tell me he made you dance with him."  
  
"He made me dance with him." Lydia said, in her most convincing tone of voice. Which was a little flat. And a little forced, with good reason, as she thought back to when she was twirling on the dance floor with Snape, discussing the ways that they would get out of this conversation which were so much easier said then carried out.  
  
Lily slumped in her bed. "No." she murmured, to herself more then to Lydia.  
  
Lydia put on a confused expression. "No what?" She was a little confused, to find a truth in the statement. There were many different situations that Lily could be disappointed of.  
  
"You, you were dancing with Snape, and you were enjoying it - don't even tell me that you weren't!" Lily just about screamed, before Lydia could say something. "You were smiling almost the whole time. Giddy, I'd say. Don't deny it. And you disappeared tonight, too. You have been disappearing just about every night to somewhere." Lydia sat on her bed, speechless.  
  
"And one last thing," Said Lily, starting to swell. Lydia scooted backward, fearing the worst. "Why didn't you tell me?" A sad look came over Lily's face before a Cheshire cat grin replaced it. "I mean, it's not like I was going to hate you because of someone that you like." Lily sat there waiting for a response. Lydia could feel her face reddening.  
  
"You - you - why do you think I would not tell you? Why? Why? Well, because something like this" Lydia stood and waved her hand over Lily's face, which was slightly flushed from her rant. "Was probably going to happen, and if something like this didn't happen when you found out, I'll be damned." Lydia stood up suddenly, her green little book falling to the ground. "Oh, and I don't like Snape. He is just, well, a friend-like-person that is there." Lydia started to pace around her bed. "I mean, I was there, and so was he, and so I kind of had to learn to tolerate him. And, well, he's not that bad, you know."  
  
Lily bent down and snatched up the little green book on the floor. "This is interesting; where'd you get it?" Lily moved her hand over the surface of the book. Lydia made to grab the book from her. "Oh." She grinned again, seeing Lydia's frustrated look. "Snape. Okay then, just promise me that you will never, ever, ever keep any more secrets from me again." Lily tossed the book to Lydia. "Never. And then maybe I will forgive you for tolerating the enemy."  
  
Lydia eyed Lily. "Are you going to tell James? Sirius? Any of them? I mean," Lydia turned hastily toward Lily, "Not that what you assume is true, but - are you going to tell them anything?"  
  
Lily sighed. "No. It would probably devastate Sirius and Remus -"  
  
"Why would it make them mad?" Lydia dropped her book onto her bed. "They wouldn't care."  
  
Lily sighed again. "You know that they both like you," She cocked her head, throwing Lydia an exasperated look.  
  
"Well," Lydia shifted uncomfortably where she stood. "Yes, but, what has that got to do with Snape?"  
  
"Merlin's beard, Lydia!" Lily slammed her hand down onto her bed. "You are such a daft git. You like Snape, and Sirius would have a fit, and Remus would probably never speak again - to anyone, and-"  
  
"I do not! Just because I've gone to the library a couple of times -" Lydia stopped, mentally groaning at the look that filled Lily's eyes.  
  
"Alone? At midnight? In the library? Oh," Lily looked as though she had certainly been dealt a treat. "I didn't know it was like that."  
  
"You know what? Forget I even came back. I am not going to talk to you anymore. You only hear what you want to hear." Lydia sat down heavily onto her bed and began to slip under her covers. "Good night."  
  
"Oh, and to finish what I was saying earlier," Lily started to lay back down on her bed. "James I can't tell, because he would tell everyone, and Sirius and Remus I can't tell, for obvious reasons, and Peter I can't tell, because he has a heart attack every time Snape's name is mentioned, and no one else is worth telling so... no, I will not tell anyone. This is a secret between you and me."  
  
Lily waited a few moments for a response, but gave up and slipped under her covers. Lydia couldn't help but grin into her pillow as she fell asleep.  
  
~*~  
  
Ooh, who liked this chapter? *raises hand and waits for others to join her*  
  
Before I forget, does anyone know how old Bertha Jorkins is supposed to be? Don't ask why though (__insert evil grin___). You can't find out yet.  
  
So? Any suggestions? Any comments? Well what do you think? Review! Comment! You can do it! I know that you can! You have your own magic! (God, that was corny, but I just really had to say it) But really, I need some brilliant suggestions. I need motivation, too.  
  
Thank you a lot, everyone that has reviewed! I don't think it would be too good to name you all, because then you would have false hope when you read my fics. 'Oh my gosh! She has about twenty pages!' So you scroll down, and there is really only about ten pages, and the rest are responses... It frustrates me, so I am not going to do it. I have false hope built up about every twenty minutes. But, I still love you all! 


	10. Chapter 9

Messing With History  
  
By Mae Noelle  
  
~*~  
  
Disclaimer: See my stuff? Hah, neither do I.  
  
Please review! And make suggestions! They make the world go round.  
  
This story is mostly from Hermione's point of view, except for a part near the end, which is a good exception, you shall see.  
  
~*~  
  
Ch. 9 - Loosing Spectacularly  
  
~*~  
  
Lydia sat in the History of Magic class, staring forward at the blackboard and not really seeing it. She had been bored to tears ever since Binns had started in a long monotonous lecture about yet another goblin rebellion.  
  
She tore her gaze away from the blackboard to look at her friend. Lily looked even more bored then she was - if that was possible. She had her head leaning on her elbow and looked like she was sleeping with her eyes open. She sighed deeply and it was just then that she remembered her present from Snape. Her eyes lit up at the thought, and dug out her small book, quill, and bottle of ink from her bag at her feet.  
  
She moved her hand over the cover of the book, her fingers catching in the imprinted snakes on the cover. She hesitated for a moment before she opened the book to the first, crisp page.  
  
`God, there is nothing to do,' She scribbled hastily onto it, the blue ink glistening for a moment, before the words sunk into the paper. Lydia wondered for a bit if that was supposed to happen, but a moment after that, words appeared on her book.  
  
`Bored, are you?' it was scribbled also, but so neatly scribbled. She wondered slightly how it could possibly be neatly-messy, but figured it wouldn't do to sit marveling at the mans hand writing.  
  
`How on Earth did you guess? Finally using that super-intelligence you are always talking about, are you?'  
  
`You just say that because you loathe the fact that you will only be able to measure up to half my brilliance when I was at the age of two.'  
  
`Is it big in here, or is it just your ego?'  
  
`Is is ignorant in here, or is it just you?'  
  
`That comment was too much like mine to even be considered an intelligent one. Please, don't write to me until you have something more intelligent to say. No, wait, don't do that, because then you will never be able to write to me again.'  
  
`You know, your writing is just as easily seen through and deciphered as the emotions you display when you speak, or do anything, for that matter. You are as easily read as a book - not literally, of course, since we are writing at this moment - I can't help but think you wouldn't get that.' Lydia stared at the writing on the page. 'Did you get any of that? You didn't, did you? I wonder why. . But you should know what I mean.'  
  
Lydia stalled for a moment, trying to understand what he had just said, staring up and down the page where all of Snape's comments had appeared. She chewed on the end of her quill as she thought of what to write next.  
  
`Damn. Of course, your legible hand writing displays the same mask you always seem to hide behind. Now, good thing we are talking about how hiding things is a good thing right now, or you would be at the pit - and we can't have that, now can we?'  
  
`No, we can't. My brilliance just won't allow it.'  
  
Lydia sighed loudly, looking around the class immediately afterward to see if she had attracted any attention. Fortunately, just about everyone was asleep, or writing down bits of information here and there.  
  
`Your brilliance? You mean your so-called dignity and reputation is more like it.'  
  
`Do I detect a bitter tone in that bit of writing?'  
  
`If you are too stupid to figure that out, and then stupid enough to ask, then all my questions about your intelligence are answered.' She smirked self-consciously, not seeing the glance it earned from Lily.  
  
`You know, I don't think that I want to talk to you right now.'  
  
`Damn good thing we aren't talking, then, isn't it?' Lydia scribbled, feeling more angry toward his attempt to get out of a conversation then by his actual rude remarks. Deciding to change the subject, she wrote as neatly as possible, `So, what are you in the middle of right now?'  
  
`My common room. You?'  
  
`History of Magic. Only class in which I would have enough time to have a complete conversation like this.' Lydia laid down her quill, staring ahead at Professor Binns. It'd be best if she didn't look like she was having too much fun in this class, people will get suspicious. `I wish people wouldn't stare so much. If I don't watch it, Binns will start to wonder why I am actually writing.'  
  
`What? Am I not good enough to risk writing to in the middle of Transfiguration? Or potions? I don't know if I can be in the library tonight, I have transfiguration homework to do. Transfiguration is such a ...'  
  
She waited for a few seconds for the rest of the sentence, but it never came.  
  
`Such a what? This had not better end up a joke about McGonagall.'  
  
Suddenly a barely legible scribble appeared on the page. `Shut up!' Lydia could feel a bit of anger stirring inside her.  
  
`I don't ever remember you being my boss,' she scribbled quickly. `And you had better not been telling me to shut up about McGonagall,' Lydia looked over at Lily, who was eyeing her oddly. Lydia hid the green little book from view as best she could with one hand.  
  
`Shut up' was scribbled once more on the page before Lydia snapped the book shut, whispering a few well chosen words to keep it shut. She wasn't even going to reply to Snape's weird little spasm, and she was getting enough odd looks for the moment.  
  
She smiled apologetically to the rude stares she received from her formerly sleeping peers while placing the items on her desk into her bag, Binns still droning on.  
  
~*~  
  
Lydia bounded past a couple of empty classrooms on her way to the Great Hall. Shadows danced on the wall as she sprinted down the empty hallways, late for dinner again. Lily would be furious. Ever since Lily had found out Lydia's final secret that she held against her (or what Lily thought was the last secret) Lily had decided that she would be now be taking responsibility of Lydia. Meaning everywhere Lydia went, she was followed. Lily monitored where Lydia went, when she went there, who she was with, and who happened to be around at that moment.  
  
An odd shadow crept down the hallway towards Lydia. Even though she had been at the castle for what felt like forever, she really didn't know if it was okay to be going down the halls alone during dinner. As she had never been caught, and she never asked, she always crept around fearing she would get kicked out of the school for some reason or another.  
  
She slowed down slightly, running a few well-chosen excuses over in her head, when she suddenly found herself standing in front of Snape. He had a frightening look on his face, and she had a fleeting thought to turn and run.  
  
"Come with me." Snape grabbed her arm roughly and pulled her into an empty classroom to Lydia's right. "You have been avoiding me!" Snape closed the door and turned to stare at Lydia. She turned slightly away from him, a little scared and weirded out. He couldn't have done something as odd as what he just did to tell her something so obvious. She had avoided him, but only because she didn't feel like talking to him. Just for about a week, when she had felt incredibly irritable and grumpy.  
  
"Why, I didn't know you cared. It has only been about a week, Severus, I really didn't think that you would miss me so much." She said smoothly, pulling her arm out of Snape's tight grasp. She tilted her head up to match Snape's glare.  
  
"I've been needing to talk to you." Snape said quickly with a clenched jaw, backing up slightly toward a desk. Lydia crossed her arms and started to tap her foot on the hard floor, waiting for Snape to explain his behavior. "When we last wrote, Lucius was trying to read my book, along with everything that you had written. Unfortunately, he succeeded."  
  
Lydia's tapping came to an abrupt stop. She could feel a surprised look mingling with her glare. Naturally, she hadn't thought that Snape was telling her to shut up for a good reason.  
  
Great. So it was her that should be saying sorry. "Well, you sure could have told me to shut up a bit nicer, and maybe why I needed to, some kind of hint along those lines!"  
  
"When someone tells you to shut up, you should listen without question, because something along these lines is usually what is happening!" Snape yelled. "Lucius knows that I have been off to the library every night - and he applauded me for that (of course, the rule-breaker he is), but then he realized I was with someone!" He threw his hands up into the air. "I can't go down to the library any more, or they will all want to come with me, and break the rules with me, and everything to do with that. They have been going down to the library every night since then, in fact, to see if you were down there. Mean while you kept running at the sight of me as I tried to keep you from death or something worse!" Snape said this all rather fast, and was standing rigidly by the end of his little speech.  
  
Lydia tried desperately not to laugh as he tried to look incredibly intimidating. She was supposed to mad at this prick, damnit! She went over all the wrong things he had done, just to make herself feel better and not give in. He wouldn't win this time.  
  
"And so it's all my fault, then, is it! Completely sorry for everything that I do wrong, then. Forgive me, please, since you have never made such a horrible mistake in your entire life!" Lydia stepped forward as close as she could to Snape, her hands balled into fists at her side. "Oh, forgive me, I am such a sinner. Please, I will never do it again!" She screamed. She tried hard to keep her hands down at her side, and not around Snape's throat, or slapping some sense or understanding into his thick skull. Snape took half a step back before grabbing Lydia's upper arms and slightly shaking her.  
  
"God, you hysterical woman! Why I decided that would come and tell you this, instead of just letting you find out when you were sitting in front of Lucius and his Slytherin friends in the Library is beyond me!"  
  
Snape started to shake with anger. Lydia, completely surprised by this, just stood there. Hardly breathing, she suddenly realized that she was in Snape's grasp and barely a wand could fit between them. Then she stopped breathing completely, and amidst her cursed thoughts of her unlucky tendencies to find herself in awkward situations, she couldn't help but feel slightly comfortable standing so close to him.  
  
After a few moments of standing there, staring at Snape with a hint of glare still left in her eye, she managed to say, "Will you let me go now?" His hands reluctantly let go of her probably bruised arms, giving Lydia the feeling that he still wanted to shake some more sense into her. She stepped back, not letting herself dwell on the disappointment that action brought about to all her senses.  
  
And without a backward glance, Lydia walked quickly and silently out of the room, careful to slam the door behind her. So she didn't see Snape go to pick up a little book that had fallen out of her pocket and onto the floor.  
  
She didn't see him study it for a few moments, before comprehension dawned on him as he suddenly realized what the little book on the ground was. Snape pushed on the clasp that held the book closed, and the book sprung open. He closed the small book quickly, sensing that she had probably just written in it, and hadn't locked it properly. And knowing her, she most likely had one or more hundred charms on it when it was properly locked.  
  
Nor had Lydia seen Snape look back at the door quickly, afraid of being caught doing what he was doing. He looked back around and dropped the little book onto the floor, waiting to see if it would 'accidentally' jump to a page that he just might 'accidentally' see.  
  
He sighed guiltily, scooped up the dairy, placed it in his pocket, and walked swiftly out of the door, without so much as a look at it.  
  
~*~  
  
Sirius Black walked down quickly to the Greenhouses. If he was to steal the roots he needed for the perfect potion to aid him in the perfect prank, then he would need to get it now, under the constellation of Orion, eleven o'clock at night.  
  
He looked over his back slowly, pulling his cloak tighter around him. There were only a few lights scattered around the castle. "Hopefully McGonagall wouldn't look out her window tonight," He said under his breath.  
  
The greenhouse door creaked slightly as Sirius pulled it open, right after he had tapped his wand on the door handle and whispered a few magical words. The first thing he did was let out an audible gasp as he slipped into the greenhouse. He was not alone.  
  
A shadowed figure turned it's head sharply at the sound of the intruder. It slowly turned around to face him.  
  
His black eyes glittered maliciously as he stood above an oddly shaped plant. "Now what are you doing here, Black? So late in the night?" Snape crossed his arms, bits of things held tightly in his grasp.  
  
Sirius's grip on his wand tightened, and through his clenched teeth he managed to whisper, "Ah, but I think the question should be, why are you here?" Snape scoffed.  
  
"I sleep here, Black, isn't it obvious?" Snape stared at Sirius, a look of intense hatred glossing over his eyes. "Now, maybe, you can keep your mouth closed long enough to keep this a secret, and then I won't have to tell anyone about your late night wanderings."  
  
Sirius opened his mouth to reply, but his eyes fell on a little book hanging slightly out of Snape's pocket. A little reddish book, little unreadable words in Latin engraved on the bottom edge of the book.  
  
There should have only been one book like that, which should only be in the pocket of one person.  
  
Sirius would know, he had gotten it.  
  
How Snape had gotten Lydia's dairy was beyond him, but Snape had most definitely read it, or done something to it. He had to get it back, to give it to Lydia. Sirius could feel the corner of his mouth twitching. He whipped out his wand, and in an instant cried,  
  
"Accio!"  
  
Snape looked down, startled, as the book in his pocket leapt out and into the air. Sirius leapt forward, reaching towards the book. Snape also jumped towards the flying book, grabbing an end. Sirius snatched the other.  
  
They both stood, holding on to the same book that was suspended in between them. Snape's mouth curled into a cruel smile. "Didn't know you would want a diary so bad, Black, they shouldn't cost too much down at Hogsmeade."  
  
"Why would you want to carry around a diary, anyway, Snape? You never struck me as the type," Sirius twisted his wrist with a quick flick, and the book flew back with him as he stumbled slightly. He pocketed the book quickly, and rose his wand into the air. He realized that he had risen it too slowly when it was knocked from his hand and across the greenhouse floor. Snape poised his wand in front of him, and opened his mouth to shout a curse.  
  
Sirius, realizing he didn't have much of a choice, balled his hand into a fist and thrust it forward, right onto the side of Snape's head.  
  
Snape fell silently, and Sirius rushed over to grab his wand, coming back reluctantly to where Snape lay. He kicked him in the side and waited for a moment while glaring down at the motionless body that lay before him. With one last look of hatred, Sirius dashed out of the greenhouse - completely forgetting about his roots.  
  
He ran across the cool green grass, the moon casting a pale glow onto the scene enclosing Hogwarts and it's grounds.  
  
Sirius fingered the book inside his pocket once reaching Hogwarts. He took it out, flipping it over and checked for anything that could have been done to it. He pressed the clasp that held it together, checking to see if it was locked.  
  
It sprung open.  
  
He could have just closed it. He should have closed it.  
  
But he didn't.  
  
He flipped toward a page near to end of the written entries, completely devoid of guilt and conscious.  
  
He flipped past the diary entries about late night library meetings, about Christmas balls and walks in gardens. He flipped right to a part that would probably be the best for someone to read, since it told nothing of anything that had Lydia had done, but then again it was probably the worst page Sirius could have flipped to, because it held most of her feelings. He came to a stop by the Charms room, giving his complete attention to the diary and it's contents.  
  
There was a clatter as the dairy dropped onto the ground. Sirius stood there, his hands still out in front of him, his head slightly bowed, and a look of complete surprise floating across his face. "Holy Merlin's balls, what is she thinking?" He murmured. His hands dropped to his side, and he took a step backwards, away from the fallen book.  
  
He looked down the hallway desperately, and swiftly scooped up the diary into his pocket without giving it a second glance.  
  
~*~  
  
Lydia walked hurriedly down the corridors, furious with herself for loosing her diary. And it was most likely unlocked, since she had been careless enough to leave it that way.  
  
She came to a halt as she walked past the room she had been in earlier with Snape. The door crashed into the wall as she pulled it open and threw it. She tore apart the room fairly quickly, fearing the worst.  
  
It was after she had left the room, disappointed that she hadn't found her book that she ran into Sirius.  
  
Lydia hadn't been paying attention where her feet were carrying her, so she wondered about that slightly as she sat on the floor, her robes out in every direction around her, making it look as though she were sinking into a black hole in the floor. It took her a moment to remember that she had run into Sirius in an unknown hallway.  
  
He mumbled an apology before helping her up to her feet. Lydia shot a questioning glance at Sirius, having seen him look down at the ground with a twisted look on his face.  
  
"We need to talk," He said quickly. Lydia sighed inwardly. "But not out here."  
  
Sirius walked towards a closed door near the end of the corridor, and motioned for her to follow him. Lydia wondered what the topic of conversation was going to be about this time, or possibly what he hoped it would turn out to be. How many times was she going to have to repeat this process in one day?  
  
Sirius stopped in front of the door, as though he expected to have a private conversation in plain sight.  
  
"Before I forget," He said, an skeptical look suddenly floating across his face, "I found this." he reached his hands down into his pocket, pulling out a little book. He leaned over as he flipped the book so that it's cover was facing up.  
  
Lydia stared at the book for a few seconds before snatching it out of Sirius's hand. She eyed Sirius wearily. She wasn't going to ask the predictable old question, she wasn't.  
  
"I'd watch where you leave that thing, especially unlocked," He said slowly, turning around to look at the other side of the corridor.  
  
Lydia rose her eyebrows. "Where did you find it?" She inquired slowly, her voice in a higher-then-usual pitch. "And how would you know it was unlocked?" A million different things raced through her head. Of course, how could a nosey little boy avoid a situation such as this one? And he was acting so weird. What had he found out?  
  
Sirius looked up, a guilty look plain in his eyes. "Snape had it." He said, as though this were supposed to explain it all. Lydia cocked her head, doing her best to give the impression that she was in complete and total shock. She clenched her hands to try and let out some of the anger that tried to force it's way out of her mouth. "Been carrying it around in his pocket, he has."  
  
Lydia could feel herself beginning to explode. "Thank goodness you brought it straight to me, eh? Without doing anything else with it," she said, her jaw locked.  
  
"And why do you think Snape would have it, Lydia?" Sirius snapped his head around to fix a fierce glare on the girl in front of him. Lydia hid the shock she felt as she glared back at him, wondering if she had ever seen him look quite like this.  
  
"What part did you read?" She managed to get out quietly. She barely moved her lips, and her jaw was stiff, but the words still had the effect she had desired.  
  
"Not as much as Snape, I can tell you that."  
  
"What part did you read?!" She screamed again, pushing Sirius into the wall and grabbing the neck of his robe. She twisted the piece of fabric she had in her hand. Sirius wore a look of surprise on his face as clear as the robe he wore over his body. "Answer me, you chauvinistic pig!"  
  
"The last page," He said silkily, grabbing Lydia's hand and ripping it off his robe. Lydia tore open her book, flipping to the last page, unsure of what or how much she had said. She finally flipped to the page, and began to read to herself;  
  
Dear Diary,  
  
I don't know what has gotten into me, I can almost feel my grades slipping. Minerva says she has noticed a bit of lack in focus, also. I keep telling everyone around me, and myself, that there is nothing wrong, but even now I can feel my focus slipping. My mind seems to be wandering in every direction for a while now. I think I know why, but I just want to deny it. Maybe I shall use Snape's present later, but I don't feel like talking to the rude bastard at the moment. Maybe it's just my menstrual cycle, I honestly can't tell. Either way, talking to him just doesn't seem to be a good idea at the moment. Though, for some idiotic reason, I can't help but think that I am rather enjoying this game of life-tag. I get the feeling that I want him to chase after me, so I know I am not the only one playing this idiotic game. Of course, these childish feelings are nothing, and I will never act upon them - imagine if I did - I can see Severus teasing me for the rest of my life. He would never let it down. But to denounce these feelings all together. I don't know if I can do that either. Maybe I am just going crazy. Damn teenage hormones. Maybe later,  
  
Lydia M. Granger  
  
Lydia looked up for a moment, wondering which impulse she should act upon now. Run, or kill Sirius? Of course, if Snape really had read this, the reaction would be so much worse.  
  
"I never thought that Snape was your type, Lydia." Sirius said, seeing her gaze linger off of her diary's page. Lydia could feel the anger she had put off to the side a while ago boiling inside her again.  
  
"Oh, and you would be my type? I don't know what you were thinking, to be getting into other people's lives, but it is none of your business! Not that I would even like Snape! That bastard, me, like him? What kind of drugs are you taking?! I would have to be a complete fool to even think of such things! Now leave from my sight, before I hex you!"  
  
Sirius glared at her, before turning and saying over his shoulder, "He probably put some sort of potion over you, you know, and is probably just waiting for you to tell him to love him before he admits it and leaves you to your embarrassment."  
  
Lydia turned and started walking hastily down the corridor in the opposite direction, muttering under her breath how she should expect to find Lily and have a spectacular fight with her in the middle of the common room.  
  
No one saw a girl stick her head out from behind a statue, a brilliant smile flashing brightening her features, light brown curls framing her face in an unusual way.  
  
~*~  
  
Too short for you? Aww! I am sorry. Too bad though, cause most stories. like the ones that have two page chapters. and no punctuation. and crappy grammar. and huge spelling mistakes. and no plot. and no romance. have way more reviews, so this is all you get. :P  
  
Sorry. I am on my menstrual cycle too. :P  
  
Well, I got done what I wanted to get done, so I am happy. I hope everyone else is, though. Tell me what you think! Tell me what you hate, what I should change, any suggestions. Or just review to say you did. Just let me know you are reading, and that you want to read more of this! 


	11. Chapter 10

Messing With History  
  
By Mae Noelle  
  
~*~  
  
Disclaimer: See my stuff? Hah, neither do I.  
  
IMPORTANT: Oh, my, god. I will never save anything on a disk again. During the time when ff.net was under the knife, I decided to write more of this story. My brain just spat it all out, like I'd had this planned. Then my hard drive died. And it killed all of my disks.  
  
-_- I cried, and cried. And then two months later, I just got fed up with trying to write this chapter again, so I just jabbed a fork into the disk space and screamed. I stuck the disk back in, and, pop! It worked! So here it is, and get on with the story. I hope you appreciate what I do for you people.  
  
This story is mostly from Hermione's point of view, ok?  
  
~*~  
  
Ch. 10 - Asleep on the job  
  
~*~  
  
Lydia parted quickly through the crowd of chatting students. She couldn't take it anymore.  
  
She ran into the Great Hall, which was emptier then usual. Lily looked up at Lydia, who had an expression of despair on her face.  
  
"Don't worry, I am sure that all these rumors will stop flying around soon. You can't keep skipping meals like this." Lily set down her fork.  
  
"I made it today, even though I am a little late," Lydia stuffed a sausage into her mouth.  
  
A group of Ravenclaw girls walked past Lydia and Lily, pointing avidly and laughing. Lily sighed.  
  
"Which rumor do you think they have heard?" Lydia said slowly, picking up a fork.  
  
"Well, a lot of the Ravenclaws have been spreading the rumor saying that Snape put a potion on you, but I keep hearing one that is vise versa. Then again, you never know what they can add to the latest gossip, so -"  
  
"All right!" Lydia closed her eyes and began to massage her temples. "stop it,"  
  
Lily put a hand on her friends shoulder. "Don't worry. They will find something else to talk about soon." She turned her head and looked over to the other house tables. She focused on the Hufflepuffs. "I bet it was that Bertha Jorkins, you know, the dumpy girl? She is always spreading rumors."  
  
Lydia slammed her hand down on the table. "But how would anyone find out? How would they get the knowledge to spread such a rumor? Especially someone from a different house?"  
  
"Well, they could have seen you at one of your little meetings," Lily whispered, leaning in towards Lydia. "Do you ever remember seeing anyone around that could have been listening?"  
  
"Well..." Lydia looked over at Lily with an embarrassed expression. "We were completely alone in the library. And that was a while ago, too. The last time I saw him, we were-" Lydia coughed. "In an empty classroom. And he yelled at me for something, but everything we said isn't mentioned in any of the rumors - in fact, everything that is mentioned in the rumors sounds like they are making fun of something out of my -" Lydia stopped herself. So far, she had restrained herself from mentioning anything about the diary entries, and how Snape and Sirius had read them. That required too much unwanted explaining.  
  
"Your... what?" Lily asked. She bowed her head slightly, still keeping her eyes on Lydia.  
  
"Nothing, nothing." Lydia stuffed another sausage into her mouth.  
  
"Fine," Lily snapped. "Don't tell me. I don't know what's gotten into everyone. Sirius has been a real pain, lately, too. James is in a horrible mood, mostly because Sirius is just annoying him, and then he just complains to me. ..." She went on a great deal more, but Lydia stopped listening. She had suddenly gotten an idea. Sirius. She had been fighting with Sirius, talking about how she was supposedly in love with Snape - so that's where the rumors are coming from! The damn fool couldn't keep their conversation private, so someone had overheard them. Perhaps the Hufflepuff's rooms were mere feet from where they where standing.  
  
Lydia snapped her head over her shoulders. A tubby girl sat at the Hufflepuff table, alone, near the end. She caught her eye, and the girl gave Lydia a look that almost oozed the fact that she knew something that Lydia didn't.  
  
Lily suddenly got up. "Come on, now, or we'll be late."  
  
They put their bags over their shoulders and prepared to go to class.  
  
It was almost time for class to begin, and the two girls could be seen running out to the Care of Magical Creatures class. Lily rounded a corner, and immediately turned back, looking intently at Lydia. Lydia rose an eyebrow.  
  
Snape came around the corner, eyeing the two girls suspiciously. His gaze lingered on Lydia. She turned her head and started to walk off, pulling her friends arm behind her. Lily looked back on Snape, who was shooting her a murderous glare, and began to giggle.  
  
"You know," Lily began, once she had finally caught up to Lydia. "He isn't as bad looking as I had always thought he was. I never really looked, all that junk about Slytherin was just pounded into my head, so that was all I saw when I looked at any of them." She began to giggle again. "And he was staring at you, you know," Lydia ignored her friends attempts to get her attention. "I wonder what he was thinking... oh, by the way, did I tell you about that new rumor I had heard from-"  
  
"No!" Lydia shouted, forgetting her momentarily deafness. "Please! Can we just drop it?"  
  
Care of Magical Creatures was incredibly boring that day. Lily kept shooting furtive glances over at Lydia, occasionally bursting into a fit of giggles. Lydia couldn't keep her mind on any of the work that class; all the information about kneazles were just going in one ear and out the other. And if it wasn't disastrous to have Lily giggling in her ear all class, her thoughts had accomplished their task of perusing reckless abandon.  
  
When it was finally time to leave that class, Lydia felt almost suicidal. Or homicidal. All she had accomplished during the class was the review of information over and over in her head.  
  
"Down to the dungeons," Lily sang, skipping down the corridor. Lydia groaned.  
  
"Oh no, anywhere but there, anything but potions with the Slytherins,"  
  
"And you should be the only one happy about that," Lily giggled again. "I doubt any of the Slytherins will even care. If they do anything, they would probably be teasing Snape."  
  
Lydia rolled her eyes. "I completely doubt that," Lydia glanced sideways at Lily. "I mean, a girl Gryffindor, in the perfect teasing condition - even if the odds are in my favor, the Slytherins will find a way to make them against me."  
  
Lily sighed and faced forward.  
  
A group of people came into view as they turned the corner to the Potions room. The door was shut, and there was a giant huddle of people talking in front of it. A Slytherin girl turned her head to see the coming girls. She turned to face her group again, but did a double take. She smiled horribly.  
  
Lydia's eyes widened as she saw everyone turn towards her. Thankfully, she hadn't gotten a chance to be with a large crowd of Slytherins earlier. She hadn't expected the extreme concentrated looks of derisive pleasure that danced across the crowds' faces.  
  
"So," Said a curt voice behind her. "I trust you have heard the rumors flying around this place?" The Gryffindors that had not been listening before suddenly made their way into the crowd of Slytherins.  
  
Lily grabbed Lydia's arm, giving her a warning look.  
  
"No, I have become mysteriously deaf," Lydia spat, turning herself around to look Malfoy in the face.  
  
"Oh really? Then tell me, did you really try to go off and get Severus all for yourself? And have yourself shot down? How did that make you feel?" Malfoy smirked as he looked back to see who was laughing.  
  
Lydia looked past Lucius, to where Snape was leaning against the wall, close enough to look like part of the crowd, yet the only person not participating in the Lydia-goggling. Besides James, Sirius, and Remus, who were standing by the other side of the wall, unreadable expressions on their faces.  
  
"Oh, no, you've got that completely backwards. You see, Snape was chasing after me, and I had to decline the pitiful mans wish." If she was going to be doing this, why not make it nice and fluffy? And, of course, in her favor?  
  
"Oh really?" Breathed Malfoy, tilting his head towards Snape, who had snapped his head up, glaring fiercely at Lydia. "I hadn't heard that one before. Sounds like the last minute plan made up by a desperate person." He sneered, his eyes reduced to slits. Sirius glanced sideways over to the crowd of people. Lydia could feel a creeping heat slide up her neck.  
  
"Well I hope your plan isn't to go chasing after every Slytherin. If so, please leave me out." Malfoy smirked once again. "I won't trouble myself with the nightmare of that, though. You Gryffindors aren't worthy of us."  
  
"You know as well as I do that these rumors flying around are just that - rumors. Nothing that big, even, so why don't we just drop it?" Lydia said slowly, wishing she could come up with something better to say. Malfoy opened his mouth. "Besides. The day I ever consider going after any pompous, egotistic, bastardly stupid Slytherin git will be the day you kiss my ass!"  
  
Malfoy was silent for a moment, contemplating something only known to the idiot who was thinking it.  
  
"I hope that comment didn't include the way you feel about your dear Snapie- poo, or he will be quite upset," Laughed a girl next to Malfoy. She flipped her dirty blonde hair back and grinned evilly.  
  
"Well, I'm not going to tell you to bend over." Malfoy said, raising an eyebrow and staring at Lydia as if she were some stupid slug. "but you still did do all of those things. I do know this." He added in a hushed voice. "Now, maybe you could tell us all? I could, but I would probably add some unwanted details."  
  
"Oh, tell us, Lucius!" Simpered another blonde girl next to Lydia, who she hadn't even noticed.  
  
Malfoy grinned at Lydia's muteness and took in a breath that would be needed for an overly winded speech. "Well, I should begin with the mid-" His speech was interrupted by the uncannily timed arrival of Professor Sicily. Lydia breathed silently.  
  
"If you wouldn't mind moving," She huffed to the students congregated around the door. She seemed in a bad mood. "I would like to begin the class now."  
  
Malfoy shot a glare at Lydia, and promised with his eyes that he would finish this conversation later.  
  
"Now, we need to get moving, we will be starting a potion that will take two months to complete." Professor Sicily began. "It is a new potion, and I have decided that you are all mature enough to cope with this." She looked around the room, willing any of the students to show that they weren't.  
  
Lydia worked her way across the room to where Lily was sitting. Lily looked up towards Lydia, a strange look in her eyes. "If Malfoy manages to get around proof, Lydia," She said quietly, to keep everyone else out of the conversation. "Then you will probably have to transfer to another school," Lily looked ahead suddenly. "How does Malfoy know so much about this? It can't be a complete coincidence that he knows all that he supposedly does."  
  
Lydia rose an eyebrow. "What are you suggesting?"  
  
"That maybe Snape and him are setting this whole thing up." Lily looked steadily ahead of herself.  
  
"No," Lydia said in a rushed whisper. "He wouldn't risk his pride like that, for just a laugh." And he wouldn't, she thought silently.  
  
It became increasingly quiet in the classroom. Professor Sicily took attendance, and called for the student's attention.  
  
"Now. As I had said, we are going to be experimenting with a new potion, and it will take exactly two months to complete. It's not a matter of how fast you can work - most of the ingredients will be added at certain, precise intervals. Now, I shall pick your partners -" She put her finger on the list of people.  
  
Lily groaned. "I hate how she picks partners. It's always cross-house, cross-sex. I will never end up with anyone that I want." She laid her head on her hands, and began to stare forward to where Remus was sitting with James and Sirius.  
  
Lydia looked Lily over, wondering if she was referring to James or Remus. "I feel so sorry for you," Lydia breathed, wondering whom she would have as a partner for the next months. Sicily was always nice to Lydia in this aspect, but every now and then.  
  
"Let's see," Professor Sicily put a finger on her chin. "Potter and - Newitt. Black and Prote. Malfoy and, lets see- Evans," Lily groaned and gave Lydia a parting look. "Good luck," She murmured as she slowly made her way over to Malfoy's table. "Snape and -"  
  
"I think that Severus should be with Granger," Malfoy said suddenly, looking mischievously at Snape, who was in turn glaring murderously look at him. He mouthed some words to him that made Malfoy snort with silent laughter.  
  
"Actually,"  
  
Lydia cringed at the tone of Professor Sicily's voice.  
  
"I haven't used that pair yet. Yes, then, Snape and Granger."  
  
Lydia placed her things down firmly on the table in front of her.  
  
Professor Sicily finished naming of pairs, and waited a few moments for everyone to get situated.  
  
"Well, are you going to come over here?" Snape called, Malfoy grinning behind him. Lily was standing by Malfoy, her elbows laying on her book bag that was on the table. She jerked her head in an irritable fashion, and mouthed 'get over here'.  
  
"Why don't you come over here?" Lydia retorted, mostly just to be disagreeable. She began to stack her things together.  
  
"It would be better if you went over to Grangers table, Snape." Professor Sicily hunched over Malfoy and Snape. "More space, less distraction."  
  
Snape sent her a nasty look and took up his things. He dropped them noisily on top of a few of Lydia's ingredients, smushing a beetle.  
  
Professor Sicily wrote down some instructions on the blackboard and the class began about two hours of silent working.  
  
"Well, shall we be using my cauldron or yours?" Lydia said, not looking up from her potions book.  
  
"Mine, of course. It is the better of the two."  
  
Lydia began to feel herself cracking again. "They are the same exact thing, you twit!" She refrained herself from looking up, but it was starting to feel as if her eyes were being magnetically pulled up.  
  
"Really? I hadn't noticed." Snape dumped powder into a measuring container, obviously harder then he meant. He began to blink furiously as the dust came back in his face.  
  
"Well, add that in then, and I will go get the bile." Lydia got up from her seat before Snape could comment, leaving him to cut up their roots into exactly one-fourth of a centimeter sized strands.  
  
She took her time gathering the needed ingredients from the store, and for the rest of the class period was resolved not to do anything that involved Snape unless absolutely necessary.  
  
When the bell sounded she ran out of the room, leaving Snape to wrap up their solution.  
  
She didn't hang around the potions class for Lily, lest she run into anything she didn't want to.  
  
Up the hall she spotted Malfoy talking with a few other Slytherins, moving his arms animatedly with his audience laughing. She immediately turned to take the long way to her next class.  
  
~*~  
  
Lydia sat down at the long Gryffindor table, keeping her eyes down. Eye contact would be deadly at this point.  
  
She sat by herself at the end of the table, as no one really wanted anything to do with her. Except Lily, but she was off somewhere at the moment. James, Sirius, and Remus had been ignoring for the past few days too.  
  
Oh, she could only hope they didn't believe the things they had been hearing. Every now and then she could almost hear whispers coming from where were the boys were all congregated together, and Lydia could over hear things like, 'The map! Our map told us so! Remember? It just got her name wrong! I knew the map wasn't too screwed up,' and 'I always knew there was something wrong with her'.  
  
She waited a couple more minutes for Lily to show up, then suddenly felt the urge to leave the table. After slamming her chair down for no apparent reason, she walked at a normal pace until she reached the hall, where she began to run to the Gryffindor common, to her dormitory, to her bed - the only place in the castle she could trust.  
  
~*~  
  
Lydia squeezed her eyelids together, shutting out the sudden light that streamed in through her opened curtains.  
  
"Lydia, please get up!" Lily pursed her lips together and folded her arms over her chest. "Lets go to Hogsmeade and have a good time, no need to be moping when we could be having fun."  
  
"I don't want to go," Lydia turned over on her stomach, pushing her face into her pillow.  
  
"Well then, I will leave without you. Have fun lying in bed all day, mate." And she turned around a walked out the slightly open door.  
  
Lydia waited a couple minutes for Lily to come back, to persuade her to come out, but she never came. Thinking that she had really left her, she hurriedly got up and threw on some comfortable clothes.  
  
She ran down the stairs of the girls dormitory and tore out of the deserted common room, past quiet corridors, to where the last of the students going to Hogsmeade were quickly disappearing out of the doorway. She straightened herself and made her way out of the Castle, looking about for any signs of Lily.  
  
After arriving at Hogsmeade, Lydia looked dispiritedly around her once more. Perhaps Lily had stayed behind, like in the library or some other room. Or maybe she had just been in the bathroom.  
  
With one last furtive glance over her shoulder, she set off toward the Three Broomsticks.  
  
Lydia bowed her head as a swift wind stung ice cold against her face. She pushed the doors of the store open and shut them quickly behind her, savoring the rich, warm smell of the Three Broomsticks.  
  
Finally beginning to feel herself unthawing, she began to make her way over to an empty table - when she saw Lily.  
  
She half-skipped over to where she was sitting, along with James, Sirius, and a Ravenclaw fifth year girl.  
  
"Hey-" Lydia tapped Lily on the shoulder and put her other hand on the edge of the table. The Ravenclaw girl smiled. Lily looked incredibly uncomfortable in her seat.  
  
"Hi, Lily," She said slowly, turning toward Sirius, who had a care-free look on his face, and was staring out the window. James coughed and looked down in his lap.  
  
"What's going on? I got up as soon as you left, and I couldn't find you," Lydia forced a smile as she gazed between the four people at the table.  
  
"Sorry, but as you havn't noticed, we are in the middle of something." Sirius snapped his head in Lydia's direction and glowered at her.  
  
Lydia felt shocked.  
  
Taking a step backward, she closed her mouth quickly, which had been open. James still wasn't looking up.  
  
"Sirius," Lily whispered, giving him an impatient look.  
  
"As I said, we are in the middle of something. A little date. Something that only involves the four of us, as Lily is with James and Alicia with me. And we were in the middle of a private conversation." Sirius narrowed his eyes further.  
  
Lydia stiffened. She could feel her face turning red. "Well, then." She stood there for a moment. Her shoes squeaked on the polished floor as she spun around. "Bye, Lily." She called over her shoulder.  
  
After walking out of the Three Broomsticks, her thought automatically came to Remus. Where would he be? She took a quick look around before mentally smacking herself. Of course - he was ill.  
  
Feeling lonely and deserted, she made her way up to the Shrieking Shack and the hill it was on.  
  
She patted the grass to make sure that it wasn't wet, and then sat herself down. Once realizing that it was less windy and cold the closer she was to the ground, she lay completely down on the cold grass. Her eyes became increasingly blurry, and she had to blink a number of times to get them into focus correctly.  
  
The reason why Sirius had been so cold was of course because of the rumors about her and Snape. Well, they weren't exactly rumors, but that was how she was going to act towards them. Not that she really minded Sirius ignoring her. but Lily.  
  
Naturally, she was incredibly mad at the whole lot of them, the whole school in fact - but what could she do? They would just have to get over it. And that would take time. Lily was still her friend - but Lydia doubted she would be as nice to her after that little 'private conversation' they had been poring over.  
  
She turned over onto her stomach, breathing in the fresh scent of the ground. The shrieking shack creaked as a fierce wind built up.  
  
"And of course, all this is happening to me!" She screamed out suddenly, to no one in particular. Sitting up, she decided to think about all the bad stuff that wasn't happening to her. It took a couple minutes to think of anything.  
  
"Well, I am not a werewolf," She whispered, hugging her knees tightly.  
  
She strained her mind to think of something else, but nothing came. After what felt like an hour, she heard footsteps from over to her left. She massaged her head, thinking that maybe her now raging headache was the cause of this, but then saw five heads appear over the edge.  
  
Recognizing two of the people immediately, she turned on her knees to try and crawl to safety. All she had to settle for was sitting by the house, and to keep perfectly still to hope beyond hope that the group would pass right by her.  
  
Her eyes snapped shut, and she held her head in between her knees, praying that she would become invisible.  
  
"Well, well, well," A drawling voice said. Lydia groaned and picked up her head. "Looks like someone is all by herself and lonely." Lucius strutted over to where Lydia was sitting, dragging along his little group, who all but one were wearing identical looks of amusement. Snape's expression looked more like he was afraid of what was to come, also.  
  
"Don't you know that this place is haunted? I would have figured that you and your little Gryffindorky friends would have tried to stay away from this place. Did it already eat Evans up, or did she just ditch you too?"  
  
Lydia glared. She stood up quickly, causing Lucius to snap up straight, as he had been bending over slightly. She turned her head instinctively toward the Shrieking Shack, wondering when people would realize that it wasn't haunted. Remembering that Snape knew this also, she shot him a quick glance. Surely he would have told someone? Like he could keep such a secret to himself.  
  
She shot another glare around the group of Slytherins, and walked as casually as possible down the hill.  
  
Cruel laughter followed her down the hill. She walked until she could no longer hear their loud, obnoxious voices crying out to try and taunt her. Looking to her left, she could see what looked like a little deserted field. She took furtive glances, and when she was sure that no one was watching her, she tore across it.  
  
A large Willow tree spread out over a large portion of the ground, and she quickly made her way trough the curtain of vines and leaves.  
  
Her foot caught on a root popping up through the ground. She caught herself by flinging her arms around the wide trunk of the willow. She slid down, and turned around so that she was sitting down, leaning against the trunk.  
  
And she began to cry. Everything that had been happening since the day she woke to find that she didn't remember a thing came pouring out. She was incredibly grateful that she had found such a nice hiding spot - and that this break down didn't happen in the middle of dinner or Potions.  
  
She wiped her eyes on her sleeve and tightened her hold on her knees. She only wished that she could corner everyone in the school and shoot them all. With every curse imaginable. And Snape, Lily, and Sirius would be in the front. And Peter, just because she never really liked him.  
  
A stick that was poking into her back suddenly became annoying, and Lydia suddenly felt the urge to rip it apart. She turned and, on her knees, began to tug and pull at the branch where she had been sitting. This wasn't working, so she began to twist, bend, and fold it. Beginning to wish that she hadn't started this, because now she had to finish it, she sat down on the branch and repeatedly jumped up and down on it.  
  
After the fourth time, there was an earsplitting crack. Lydia sat breathless on the ground, with most of the branch lying on the ground next to her.  
  
"A-ha!" She cried, picking up the branch, waving it around like a madman. "See, you can not win!" She began poking the branch into the tree, bending the tip, and attempting to break it to satisfy her temporarily urge to destroy.  
  
There was a crack behind her. Lydia panicked, and threw her stick onto the ground, and leapt behind the willow trunk, hiding from whatever was coming. There was another crackle, as though someone was stepping on the fallen twigs and leaves.  
  
"Hello?" Lydia scrunched her eyes together, cursing her horrible luck. The voice sighed impatiently. "I know that someone is in here, so don't pretend that you aren't." Lydia sensed Snape coming around the tree trunk, and carefully made her way around.  
  
Her eyes carefully rooted to the spot where Snape would supposedly be coming. Lydia backed up again and bumped into the person behind her. She immediately jumped away and around, to face him. His expression went quickly from surprised to angry. "And the reason you're hiding is..." Snape folded his arms, raising his eyebrows - probably expecting her to spill out everything that was wrong in her life.  
  
"Well, it's going to take a genius to figure that out!" She snapped, wishing she had kept the anger and strength she had wasted on braking the tree branch. "And besides," She said quickly. "I was not hiding. I was just sitting under this tree," She waved her hand around her.  
  
"Oh, of course. Silly me." Snape turned toward the tree, moving twigs, leaves, and a broken branch from a spot by the tree trunk.  
  
"What are you doing?" Lydia asked, feeling scandalized.  
  
"Sitting, Granger. Do you have a problem with this?" Snape leaned against the trunk and slid down it slowly.  
  
"But that's my spot!" Lydia could feel her throat tightening and her voice sounded slightly higher then usual.  
  
Snape raised his eyebrows. "There is something seriously wrong with you, Granger."  
  
Lydia balled her fists. "Yes, there is!" She yelled out, picking up her stick from the ground. "You! You! Everything wrong that has happened is because of you! I can't even describe the hate I have for you, you just go around, doing whatever you please, thinking oh-so highly of yourself! Ruining other people's lives must be just some kind of sick, twisted hobby of yours, isn't it? What is wrong with you?"  
  
By the end of her screaming fit, Snape had risen to his feet.  
  
"I was coming to apologize, Granger. To say that for whatever anyone does to you, I will be suffering just as much. Maybe even more. How I have to always pretend around everyone I will ever be with. How I will never have any real friends I can come back to. Even when everyone forgets about the stupid rumors someone sent around, I won't have anyone to come to."  
  
"You mean-" Lydia felt a weight being pushed off her shoulder. "You didn't spread the rumors yourself? By telling everyone you knew about the library meetings and such?" Lydia spoke as quickly yet slowly as possible.  
  
Snape gave her a disbelieving look. "Are you serious? Why in the world would I want to ruin my reputation so much? No, I didn't say a thing, to anyone." He added, seeing Lydia's disbelieving look. He grabbed the end of the stick Lydia was pointing dangerously close to Snape's chest, and broke it.  
  
"But then who did?" Lydia said quietly, looking down and fingering the end of her broken stick. For a moment she reflected on how much suffering and strength it took from her to actually brake it, when Snape just took it and broke it in half like a twig. Which it basically was, but that was beside the point.  
  
"Well, for a while, I thought it had been you." Snape raised an eyebrow. "Thought maybe you told your friend and she went and blabbed it to everyone she knew. Or maybe keeping a secret wasn't your thing, so you went and told everyone one night. But, after a while, I figured out that you hadn't."  
  
Snape leaned back against the tree, folding his arms behind him.  
  
"That would have been the stupidest mistake of my life!" Lydia sputtered, dropping her stick.  
  
"Unfortunately for you, you wouldn't know that." Snape turned his head, looking sharply into Lydia's eyes. She turned her head.  
  
Lydia sighed. "Everyone knows- knew how much I despise you. And it is like an unwritten code for Slytherins and everyone else to not get along - especially Gryffindors. Just because you all are incredibly jealous, it doesn't mean that-"  
  
"We are not! All you snotty goodie-goodies just automatically think, 'hey, they are bad and dumb and stupid, so lets all hate them together!'" Snape rolled his eyes and raised his voice to imitate the Gryffindors he had imagined up one night.  
  
"And why do we think that you are evil? Um, take a minute to ponder this, um, because you are. Teasing and torturing people incessantly like you do. I am sure Slytherin started all the muggle taunts and Slytherins-think-they- are-better-then-everyone thing."  
  
"First of all," Snape said icily, standing straight and glaring menacingly, "I have been and will be tormented and tortured far more then you will ever know, in any of your life times!" Snape sat down slowly, bringing his hands out in front of him and bringing a long finger to his mouth. "And second, I think Slytherin did start all that. But that is him, not the people actually alive now."  
  
Lydia walked over to the tree trunk, and leaned against an unoccupied side.  
  
"You can't possibly have walked all the way over to where I happened to be hiding just to apologize," She said slowly, having decided to change the subject.  
  
"Yes. I actually came over to find you, to see if you were crying. (Which, of course, was what we all had suspected you had run off to do) I heard a loud crack coming from over here, so I came to investigate. So were you?" Snape looked up at Lydia, who turned away.  
  
"Of course not. I am not that alone and sad. I can manage to live without you and all those other fools for a few minutes." Snape stood up, and beckoned for her to turn around. She scoffed and shook her head furiously, fingering her wand.  
  
"Fine then." He reached around where she was standing, and grabbed her chin, pulling her head around, which brought around the rest of her. He tilted it up, studying her face.  
  
Lydia stood there, willing for her shaking legs to still, and her stiff arms to relax.  
  
His brows where furrowed with concentration as he looked. Wondering what he could possibly be looking for, she closed her mouth and prayed that she didn't look as bad as she felt. There was definitely a blush creeping up her neck that she just couldn't fight, however.  
  
"Liar," He said quietly, letting go of her chin. "You were too crying." His serious face cracked in a mischievous grin, which immediately sparked Lydia's continuous thoughts of his sheer evilness. "Were you lying about the other things, as well?"  
  
Lydia quickly replaced her still dazed expression with a more suitable one. "If you mean my not being able to live without my friends, then yes. But about the rest, no."  
  
"Alright then." Snape said quickly, raising his eyebrows. "No need to be so - you."  
  
"Excuse me?" Lydia cried, lowering herself onto the ground. "I am acting as I always do."  
  
"Exactly. No need to be." Snape slid back down onto his spot next to Lydia. She immediately scooted over a foot or so.  
  
"How much longer until this trip is officially over?" Lydia picked a dead leaf off the ground, and crushed it.  
  
"A lot longer." He sighed, and stretched out his arms in front of him. "A very, very long time."  
  
After putting her arms behind her head, Lydia slowly shut her eyes. Try as she might, she couldn't get the scene from the Three Broomsticks out of her head. For all she knew, Lily would probably not be her friend after her little chat with Sirius. It was enough just to have all the Slytherins hating her, but her own house?  
  
She sat there in her spot, her eyes drooping slowly, little pictures of evil friends dancing in her mind, and fell asleep.  
  
~*~  
  
Thank you so much for the reviews! I appreciate them so much. They were the only reason that I kept up with this story. And the only reason that I risked electrocution and a thousand dollars by blindly sticking a fork into a hole in the computer and then shaking the screen.  
  
Hoo hoo! You will love the next chapter. Or I will make you, seriously. I mean, you have to love it. And this one too, of course. Oh, and please, please review! I need inspiration.  
  
If you have any suggestions, please tell me. It would make the story so much better!  
  
Please review! And make suggestions too! I love suggestions. Sorry this took so, so long to get out. I got caught up in Neopets.com. The best place on the web. But, then, my account was frozen. So I just gave up. I am not even going to try and get back all that I have lost.  
  
Oh! Oh! I just watched 'Gone With The Wind', and it is now my most favoritest movie. The only thing that bugged me was how Butler basically announced that he loved O'Hara the second time he had seen her. I expected intense bickering until the two slowly fell in love - not at all what had happened. (but then again, my version of romance and perfect love is completely contorted, so every love scene I have ever seen is wrong to me. This is why I can see Hermione and Draco together better then any other couple in the book) 


	12. Chapter 11

Messing With History  
  
By: Mae Noelle  
  
~*~  
  
Disclaimer: See my stuff? Hah, neither do I.  
  
*What's the color of Hermione's eyes? I am saying brown. And does anyone know Hermione's Dad's first name? I just made it up, so, it is now officially Robert. Sorry, I seriously couldn't think of anything better. And I have always been so fond of 'Bob'. I also made up some other names, even the stupidest of you will understand who they are supposed to be. ^___^ I mean that in a good way, if there are some sensitive people out there.  
  
Please review! And make suggestions too! I love suggestions. Okay - I am really out of the whack of writing, so if there is anything incredibly overly wrong with this chapter, email me about it, and I will fix it, just for you.  
  
And- I think I put a bit more emotion into this story then I usually do. You see, when I began writing this chapter, I was depressed and caught up in my high school pressure- and I suddenly missed my dad- my real one. And, suddenly, out of the blue, he called, boom, just like that. He is on the phone with my little brother right now, explaining why he hasn't contacted us or tried in the past few hundred years. (not literally right now, as you are reading this, duh) I feel like crying, and I may have put that into the story somehow, somewhere. And now I am moving over there with him! I will be finally getting my own computer - no shouting boyfriend-of-my-mother to ground me every five seconds! (Have I blabbed on about that ten-page subject yet? If not - I won't, it is a long story) So I will be getting more chapters out. That also means that this chapter probably won't get posted for a while - or maybe not this one, but the ones after it.  
  
I don't know why I am telling you people this! I just don't have any other kind of diary or anything to vent, so my willing (or unwilling, ^_^;;;) audience is my journal. Okay, I will stop blabbin. I am tearin' up, and you are bored to death. Get on and read!!  
  
This story is mostly from Hermione's point of view, ok? I will change it twice this story. How will you know what is going on? Well, after this thing: ~*~ you will see a name. That persons name will be whom the story is told from. I won't change it often, cause I hate it when you are guessing on what the other persons feeling, and then the story is ruined when the author goes and blows it. I will almost never, ever, ever, ever use Snape to tell the story, cause then what will be the point of reading when you know what both lovers are thinking? There is no suspense, no thrill when something happens! But, it will happen when Lydia happens to be indisposed or something, as you will see right now.  
  
~*~  
  
Ch. 11 - The List  
  
~*~  
  
Snape yawned suddenly, not opening his eyes. There was an incredibly painful cramp in his side, and odd cricks all over his body. Only after remembering that he was under a tree did it make sense.  
  
He yawned again, sitting up quickly, disheveling a mat of crackling twigs and dead things that lay beneath him.  
  
But another thing was disheveled once he had sprung up. He brought his hand down to his side, feeling a smooth, long thing.  
  
Snape whipped his head down, tossing his silky black hair in front of his eyes. Lydia had laid her arm across his chest. And, she was incredible close. Much closer then he had first thought.  
  
His mind immediately began to swim. The swift thumping noises of his heart were sure to wake Lydia, if not notify the entire world of his current feelings.  
  
His whirling thoughts stopped suddenly as he heard a soft moan coming from his side. He looked slowly down to Lydia.  
  
She looked so quiet, so peaceful, so soft - he had to use all his life's learning's of will power to hold himself back. A quiet breeze lifted the willow branches and the stray rays of light drifting down played across the ground where Lydia and Snape sat.  
  
Snape stood, slowly, careful not to make to much sound, and left for a gap in the branches of the willow.  
  
"Sev..." Snape froze. He squeezed his eyes shut, cursing his weakness that commanded him to stay to stare at her. He turned his back; thinking of a quick excuse for his rushed leave, and stared at Lydia's lying form.  
  
He peered closer towards her. Her eyes were still closed, and she was still breathing in the rhythmically slow way that sleepers tend to do.  
  
"Granger?" She went on breathing. "Lydia? Did you call me, or didn't you?" He began to feel annoyed and folded his arms. "Well, answer me."  
  
He stood there for a few minutes, taping his foot slightly, and finally figured she had gone back to sleep.  
  
Snape turned around once more, thankful that he needn't use his stupid excuse he had thought up. Brushing the willow trees aside, he walked out into the sunlight, and, with a slight brush to his robes, walked away.  
  
Lydia rustled slightly, grasping a twig with her free hand, and began to whisper, a happy smile floating across her face.  
  
"... I love you..."  
  
~*~  
  
Lydia woke suddenly, a cool breeze lifting her hair and whipping it over her face, and she realized that too much time had passed. The sun looked bigger and was slightly orange, setting a glow across the field that she could see.  
  
It took her a few minutes to realize this, and she dazed about for a few minutes. It struck her hard though, thinking that she would be incredibly late to getting back, and too many awkward questions would be asked.  
  
She jumped up, crackling leaves falling off her back, and half ran, half walked out of the curtain of vines that held her in the willows room. Lydia decided that she would come to this place more often, as it happened to be where everything good happened.  
  
A hesitant smile floated across her face as she thought of her dream. She could feel herself blushing, but tried to hold back and hide all her thoughts - as though someone was watching her.  
  
Before entering into the main bustle of the town, she straightened her clothes, pulled the remaining dead leaves from her hair, trying to make herself look a bit more decent.  
  
She walked past old shops full of robes and some with magic items, determined to get through the town looking like she knew where she was going, how she was going to do it, and why there was bits of leaves falling off of her.  
  
So far she was pleased with herself, sure she would have no trouble in getting back to Hogwarts on time. A few excuses circulated through her head as she thought up any possible questions that might come her way.  
  
Then a shape appeared in the corner of her eye, emerging from a shops door. She turned her head slightly, not really caring, but then snapped her head back and started to hustle herself along. It was Malfoy. With some of his stupid friends.  
  
Lydia frowned slightly. Snape was not with them. For some reason, that made her feel slightly better.  
  
Suddenly wondering where Snape would have disappeared off too after she had fallen asleep. She felt a bit of anger rustling inside her when she wondered why Snape would have not woken her up, or something.  
  
She began to hurry more, thinking about turning behind this next shop, taking the back way to get home, when Malfoy called to her.  
  
"Damnit," she cursed under her breath. Her eyes lifted to the sky and she prayed they wanted nothing with her - a miracle she knew would not be answered in her favor.  
  
"Hey, little girl, where are you off to in such a hurry?" One of the stupid oafs at Malfoy's side managed to grunt out.  
  
Lydia turned on her heal, concentrating on being brave - or however much she could be.  
  
Malfoy walked towards her, his usual swagger looking more exaggerated then usual. He held up his head, his silver-blonde hair flying in the breeze. His eyes closed into slits, and for a moment Lydia was afraid.  
  
But she shook it off, of course.  
  
"Why are you still here, all by yourself?" He tilted his head slightly, a sly grin spreading across his face. "I have not seen you around for a while - have you been hiding?" He rose his eyebrows at the last part, and turned to the cronies at his side. "What do you think?"  
  
"I think... that we should help her back to the school," The thicker-necked one smiled at his brilliance, most likely not knowing what that could mean, but trusting that Malfoy would think up something nice to go along with it. Lydia scowled.  
  
And Malfoy did, if the look on his face showed any hint as to what he was planning.  
  
Lydia started to step backwards, getting ready to start sprinting for all her life in the other direction, wherever it lead to, so long as her life was not in the hands of Malfoy.  
  
But she stopped suddenly, because she had backed up into someone. Lydia whipped her head around, expecting to see another large Slytherin cornering her in, but meeting the smile of the Professor McGonagall.  
  
"Lydia, my dear! Come with me, Dumbledore is expecting you up at the school. Come on now, don't dawdle, I hadn't expected to take so long to find you..." McGonagall grabbed her arm and began to pull/drag her along the road back to the castle.  
  
Lydia, a rush of the deepest gratitude growing inside her, dared to look back at the group of Slytherins.  
  
They looked like they had been denied a real pleasure, and Malfoy's face was contorted into a look of fury.  
  
And just before she turned her head back forward, to begin asking McGonagall questions about her summoning, she saw Malfoy mouth something.  
  
Something she willed herself to think she didn't understand.  
  
'I will get you' - she could almost hear the venom he was mentally ejecting into those words.  
  
She couldn't resist. She gave him the finger.  
  
And then whipped her head around.  
  
The rest of the journey was uneventful, as Lydia didn't feel too much like talking. It felt like in no time at all that they were ascending the stairs to Dumbledore's office, and then knocking on his door.  
  
"Minerva, Lydia, come in, hurry. The heat is escaping the room!" Lydia peered in from behind McGonagall into Dumbledore's office. She felt the same kind of misty-ness she had always felt when in that mystical, circular room..  
  
"Now," He started, as both Lydia and McGonagall sat down in the plump chairs in front of his desk. "I remembered, yesterday, when our staff had decided to give you a name - that you remembered the name Granger. After all the research I had been doing, trying to find out where you came from, I realized this might prove the most useful right now. Now, I am afraid it wasn't anyone's first name, so you must have recognized someone's surname. I have a list, here, of all the people with the surname Granger that are here in Britain. Please, take it, and look over it closely - anything, anything that you think might help - anything at all - please inform me." He sighed, pulling off his half-moon spectacles and rubbing his temples with his other hand. "Anything could help in this case."  
  
And with this she was handed a fairly large piece of parchment.. It wasn't nearly as big as she thought it would be, but, in a moment, she realized why. There was a little circle of ink on the bottom right corner, and when she touched it, the list of names would scroll down. There was more to this list, too. When she touched the name of someone she was suspecting, to the right of the name came a miniature list; of whom the person was a father or mother too, their siblings, parents, and other relations who shared the name Granger. And when she touched that person's name, she scrolled immediately down to the persons name where it originally was located on the list.  
  
For a few minutes, the party of three sat in silence, two of which contemplated possible solutions to this puzzle, and one looked to find something she doubted she could remember. But she tried hard, anyway.  
  
"Well," Said McGonagall suddenly. "I think that you should pack that down to your room, and study it there- though not before finishing your transfiguration homework!" She gave a half-hearted laugh, looking as though the last thing she wanted to do was be happy.  
  
Lydia stood, said good-bye and thank you, and hustled back down to the common room.  
  
~*~  
  
As she opened her eyes, a ray of light fell through the crack in Lydia's hangings that surrounded her bed. Annoyed at being woken, she swatted at the curtains and turned on her side.  
  
After trying for several minutes, she gave up the thought of peaceful sleep and rose from her bed. She dressed herself sloppily and groggily dragged herself down to the common.  
  
She sat down at a table. Before her she spread out all her homework that she had neglected for a few weeks, and begun working - barely aware of what she was doing. Not that that mattered, because she was incredibly smart - and she had the feeling that she knew this stuff already. The professors were constantly saying that she needed to be challenged more, and next year she was expected to be put into harder courses.  
  
For History of Magic, she came upon a list of names of Goblin Rebellions, and she was suddenly reminded of the list of Grangers that she had stuffed into her drawer hastily the night before.  
  
With a flick of her wrist, she finished her last sentence and shoved all her books and parchments away, and flew back up the stairs to the girls sixth-year room. She pulled the list out a drawer by her bed, and started to make her way down to the library.  
  
Might as well get a few books while I take a look at this, she thought.  
  
Sitting alone at one of the library's tables, she pushed aside the many books she had taken from the shelves to make room for her list.  
  
Lydia half wished that she could just give up the futile fight to find out what had happened to her, and to get on with the life she was obviously now stuck with. The other half, however, yearned to explore this, to get more knowledge, and to fill the gaping hole in her heart ...  
  
Her breath caught in her throat as she skimmed the names on her list. She just looked at the name for a minute, and finally moved her hand up and over the list.  
  
Slightly trembling, she touched it.  
  
'Robert Granger, son of Peter and Melyssa Granger'  
  
She shivered. All those names seemed familiar to her. Well, they all did, to be honest - but those seemed the most familiar of them all.  
  
About to get up, she turned her head, and caught a familiar face staring her way. Snape.  
  
Trying very hard to be un-surprised or slightly happy that he was even looking at her, she shot him her best piercing look. Why are you looking at me? She tried to convey her silent message to him, knowing he wouldn't understand.  
  
The look he sent back seemed to question her odd behavior, and the questionable rags she was wearing.  
  
She turned her head, closed her eyes in all her snootiness, and shoved the books on her table aside, got up with as much dignity as she could muster, and carried herself and the list out of the library.  
  
And down the hall, to the ugly gargoyle, and up the stairs to Dumbledore's office. Where she knocked on his door, waiting patiently, wasting the many minutes she was spending waiting for the door to open by thinking up the ways in which knowing a persons name might be useful. Maybe he will find a way to look into his future, she mused, imagining how that would work.  
  
She was struck by the thought of an overgrown bat with large glasses and too much jewelry. Was this a professor here? Lydia couldn't remember. Ah, so many things she couldn't remember.  
  
That thought scared her. She had remembered a lot of people around here that either didn't exist (yet?) or were off somewhere across the country, and no one else knew about them.  
  
She suddenly remembered making fun of the old bat lady a while ago, with James laughing beside her.  
  
She sighed. So that phoney old thinks-she-can-actually-'see' kook was real. For some reason, remembering James or Remus or Sirius or Peter in a memory confirmed it. James, though, mostly. It didn't work this way with most professors, or Snape, for some reason.  
  
When she was just thinking that she would knock again, and only wait one more minute for the door to open, Professor Dumbledore walked up the stairs behind her. Shocked, she forgot to tell him what she had run up here for.  
  
"Why, hello, Lydia. Is something wrong?" He had a concerned look in his face, his eyes twinkling from behind his half-moon spectacles. He carried a fairly large brown parcel under one arm, the other stretched out, ready to turn the door handle.  
  
"No," she said uncertainly. She swished her arms by her side, willing what she needed to say to come back to her.  
  
"Oh, the list!" Dumbledore said suddenly, pushing open the door and walking in. "How is it working for you? Is this what you needed to discuss? Did something go wrong?" He put his parcel on his desk and grabbed the list from Lydia's hands, while she stood still in the doorway.  
  
"Oh, yes, the list," she said, remembering Robert Granger. Gingerly, she took a few steps forward, once again feeling the misty-ness of this circular room with the many faces on the walls. "Yes. Um, you see, I found this strikingly familiar name -"  
  
Not waiting for her to finish, he interrupted her, slapping the list on his desk. "What was it? Do you remember anything else that would connect with the name? Possibly a friend? Father? Cousin? Family at all? Enemy?"  
  
Slightly annoyed, she turned her head to see the list more clearly. She pointed to where the name 'Robert' was on the list. Dumbledore, in his hast, had managed not to scroll to far down and end up loosing the precious name.  
  
"Hmm," Dumbledore studied the name for a few minutes, touching it and touching the other names associated to it.  
  
Finally, after standing for so long that Lydia's legs began to feel the terrible itching you get when you need to move them but feel that you can't, he stood, moving towards his fireplace, grabbing some dust out of a small little can.  
  
"You may go. I will manage to contact you when you are needed. You shouldn't be waiting long."  
  
Lydia turned towards the door, walking with trouble and sadly thinking about the large amount of stairs and long hallways she had to travel to get to the Great Hall for Lunch. Before shutting the door behind her, she watched Dumbledore throw a handful of dust into the fire and say loudly, "Minerva!"  
  
~*~  
  
Lily closed her eyes tightly. She hated it when she had to look at Lydia these past weeks or so. She was wasting away, it seemed.  
  
And Lily was almost sure that Lydia was pursuing Severus, that Slytherin James and Sirius hated so much... No one else really knew, they were just all following the rumors - like the nosy teens they are. But she knew - or, at least, was sure she did. Watching Lydia run off to the library, at midnight, by herself, and such.  
  
Sirius might know, too. Lily wasn't sure, but he came back to the room one night and had caused a horrible mess in the boy's room. She had heard it. James had told her about how Sirius looked like he was going to puke and freak and everything - and about how he was so quiet. Barely said a thing. And never did afterwards, it seemed. Everyone had just forgotten about it - or made themselves forget.  
  
And now Lydia was walking into the Great Hall, looking a mess, like she was about to keel over. She looked fleetingly over to where Lily and her friends where, but caught Lily looking at her and faced the other way, a deadly expression on her face.  
  
She resumed her now usual spot at the end of the table, and quietly picked up her fork, and began to poke at her food.  
  
Lily felt a pang in her heart, and wanted to go sit with her, but she didn't approve of her behavior at the moment. She knew that just leaving her by herself wasn't going to make anyone feel better, but even if she did try and talk to her, Lydia would just explode.  
  
She turned back around, her fork hovering over her food.  
  
And caught Sirius looking over at Lydia. He caught Lily looking at him, and immediately turned towards his food, looking slightly pink.  
  
Lily smiled a little. Oh, if only Lydia would act just a little more normal!  
  
She went to stand again, and, for the millionth time that week James grabbed her arm, and when Lily turned to glare at him he just shook his head, and said,  
  
"I would just leave her alone,"  
  
Sighing a little, she gazed back at Lydia. She kind of wished she could fall in love with a dark handsome stranger who she would refuse to love, and end up loving no matter what, no matter how many people laughed. It seemed so hopelessly romantic.  
  
She turned back to her side and looked at James, who was shoving things in his mouth at high speed. She sighed.  
  
James, his fork in his mouth, turned his head slightly and looked at Lily, and raised an eyebrow.  
  
She turned again, to Remus, and smiled once she had caught his eye.  
  
James saw her looking at him, and turned to Lily, and she quickly turned her head around, back toward Lydia.  
  
She was gone.  
  
And McGonagall was basically carrying Lydia out the Great Hall, her fork still held tightly in her free hand.  
  
~*~  
  
Lydia tried to keep up her pace with McGonagall, who hurtled in front of her, dragging Lydia along.  
  
"Now, we must hurry, I don't know how long they will be there -"  
  
Lydia's head raced. What in the heck was going on?  
  
"Okay, well, there are a lot of Robert Granger's, especially in England, so you are going to have decide among yourself which is the one that strikes your memory." McGonagall slowed down in front of the ugly gargoyle that held behind him the hidden passageway that wasn't so hidden to Dumbledores office.  
  
McGonagall said 'Laffy Taffy' and waited impatiently the half-second it took for the Gargoyle to spring aside.  
  
Lydia wretched her arm out of McGonagalls grip and followed her up the staircase.  
  
Before they came to the top of the stairs, the door swung open, and Dumbledore appeared.  
  
"Hello, Lydia. Minerva. Come inside. I trust Miss Granger knows the reason why she was hauled up here?" He moved over, letting them pass into his circular room.  
  
"Professor," Lydia turned her head towards Dumbledore, trying not to be effected by the weirdness that had been rubbing off on her from the past few days. "I really, really can't see how seeing any of these 'Roberts' will help me," Dumbledore had his hand on her back, and begun slowly turning her around to face the wall behind her.  
  
She gasped.  
  
Against the wall were many, many boys. And Men. And Old people, and three babies. Some were sitting. Most were standing behind the sitting ones, starring out in a creepy fashion.  
  
Lydia took a step closer. No one moved. She walked right up to one of the boys, and, hesitantly, waved her hand violently in his face.  
  
He didn't blink. She took a step back and began to look over the people more comfortably.  
  
"So what will happen if I do find one who I decide is my Robert Granger?" Lydia asked slowly, looking over the many faces.  
  
Dumbledore walked over to his desk, and slowly settled himself into his chair. "I am afraid that most of what will happen lies within you," He started, flattening a roll of parchment with two gold colored stones, and pulling out a red feathered quill. "You are just going to have to jog your memory, and remember which person he is, and who he is to you. And beyond that, research. It would be a long and tedious road to travel, but it may be the only way we can help you."  
  
Lydia nodded and continued walking in front of the many Roberts.  
  
After studying the faces of some of them, she felt her adrenaline dying. Her step slowed, and she felt like she needed a good nap, right there, on the floor, in front of the oh-so-many Robert Grangers.  
  
She closed her eyes and yawned for a second, still walking past the men. She reluctantly opened her eyes again, staring behind her, studying the faces of the ones she had passed, willing her mind to remember any of them.  
  
Looking at the last one she passed, she stopped, ready to turn back around and study some more.  
  
Her heart stopped beating.  
  
She stepped closer to him, this little boy, who looked about her age or a little bit younger. After a second, she brought her hand up to his face, which had a lot of small, barely noticeable freckles. His Brown hair was not curly, but short. She looked down at his eyes, which were brown. With tiny specks of yellow and black.  
  
It felt like looking in a mirror - she knew that her own eyes mirrored the cold, confused expression that was now in his eyes. She knew that was always the look she had in her eyes, for as long as she could remember. Which wasn't very long. She had begun to think it was normal, but looking at everyone else, she could tell she was really the only confused person here.  
  
Which wasn't very hard to understand; she was in a pretty special situation.  
  
She turned away from the boy, who she figured was her grandfather, or father, or uncle. Depending on how far she had come from the future.  
  
Lydia walked towards Dumbledore; choking back the tears she felt welling inside her.  
  
"Did you find anything? Anything at all?" Dumbledore bent over his desk a bit, staring Lydia in the eyes.  
  
Slowly, Lydia drew a breath, and quickly went over an idea in her mind.  
  
"No, sir. I don't think I found anything worth saying."  
  
~*~  
  
Dear lord, I hate this chapter. I feel so bad for you people, having to read it! Ha ha, I laugh at you! But, seriously. this is one of those transition chapters (I'm having a lot of those lately - sorry bout that) so. talk now, fun later.  
  
Okay, I was going to add some more stuff, but I felt too much like I was dragging this chapter on, and I wanted really bad to get this thing posted. Check out my other brand new story, by the way, it is another mini- snape/herm romance. I love those kinds. I am absolutely in love with them.  
  
Oh, and please, please review! I need inspiration. I need ideas - I am running out. Well, not really, but they aren't fresh, not new. and right now it is 3:00 in the morning, so yah, I think I am gonna stop now.  
  
If you have any suggestions, please tell me. It would make the story so much better! I am serious. If it weren't for my wonderful muse Ducky, who I now share my account with, this story would be so dead. 


	13. Chapter 12

Messing With History  
  
By Mae Noelle  
  
~*~  
  
Disclaimer: See my stuff? Hah, neither do I.  
  
***********************NOTE*****************************************  
  
Ok, guess what - I know that no one will believe this (besides my wonderful muse Ducky, as she has proof in the form of phone calls and post cards) but I moved again. Yes, again. Where to this time? Florida. To make longer stories longer, I could tell you the entire thing, but no. Anyone interested in my life's worth of rants and raves? You can check out my live journal. I am xlovelyxladiiex .  
  
This chappie was taken off ff.net for me to redo, hence that annoying note up in its place. It wasn't supposed to be out this long, I was intending to put it out the next day or so, but I hit a snag - I couldn't stop finding things that I wanted corrected in this piece. And then a week later my computer was taken off the hook and I moved, and here I haven't had a phone line since forever. ---- And, I am so, so, so, so, so sorry to place all the blame on Madaboutharry and everyone else who contacted me to tell me everything wrong with my story - I didn't mean it like that! Well, maybe at first, while wallowing in my not-good-enough puddle of self pity, I sortof did. but. criticism is needed, especially directed towards me, so please don't stop telling me about anything you find odd or wrong. Chances are I find them wrong too, but missed it or didn't explain good enough. I promise not to do this ever, ever again. *cries* Can you all ever forgive me?! I am so sorry! *burries head in keyboard* I am so sorry!!  
  
Ok, go read. Not to different from old one, I just fixed little things here in there, added details here and there, clarified things towards the end, and other things like that. Actually, now that I re-read it, it is almost completely different after the third page. You might want to re-read it if you already read the first original chappie. A lot of things changed, but the line of plot and the direction it goes is the same, but different information was substituted in. I would recommend anyone that read the first one read this revised chappie. Not necessary, but I would if I were you.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
This chappie will be told from either Snapes or Hermies pov. (my muse convinced me to do it. cause normally I wouldn't have. After these: ~*~ you will suddenly be transported to the other characters brain. Magical, isn't it? I trust you will understand after you read. I hope. Now, get on with the story.)  
  
Woah - this one is a bit long, ne? Sorry about that, to all you people who like short, crisp stories. And for all you who love long stuff that never, ever ends, here, take some of my excess Pumpkin pie and have yourself a field day.  
  
~*~  
  
Ch. 12 - A Duel  
  
~*~  
  
Lydia walked slowly down the corridor, not caring about going back to eat lunch. Her eyes were weighing down on her so heavily it felt as though she had ten pound weights strapped to each eyelid.  
  
She continued walking slowly down to the Gryffindors entrance, and slowed her pace to the bare minimum of movement. She told the fat lady the password, climbed into the common room, made her way up the girls dormitory stairs, and when she finally got there, plopped herself on her wonderful, comfortable bed.  
  
Temporarily forgetting her troubles in the cozy-ness of her bed, she slid her arms under her pillow, nuzzling her cheek further into the pillows' softness. Then she decided that she would go to dinner today, but not anything else that involved movement. At least not right now.  
  
~*~  
  
Snape sank himself further down into the large, green, leathery chair that he sat in, a few feet away from the Slytherin room fireplace - which was blazing bright at the moment. His chair was tucked away into an unseen corner of the room.  
  
He propped his head up with his hand, his arm he leaning on the arm of the chair, and comfortably read one of his many potions books.  
  
A few strands of his hair fell out in front of his face, and he reached back to tuck them behind his ear- again. He separated the next page of his book, and flipped it over.  
  
Smack!  
  
Severus looked up, towards the Slytherin entrance, which had been opened, rather roughly. He watched quietly as Malfoy came loudly into the common, followed by one of his lackeys.  
  
"I can't believe you just did that! This has to be one of the most brilliant plans you have ever come up with," The lackey, his brown, messy hair flying everywhere, swung his arms at his side, and grinned like an idiot -- which, of course, he was.  
  
"I know," Malfoy swaggered about, as though he got a galleon for every minute he held his chest too high into the air. "I can't wait to see what happens next. And can you believe I actually managed to steal some Veritaserum from Sicily's stores? How good am I?" Malfoy laughed at himself, oozing lethal amounts of arrogance.  
  
"Yah, and I can't believe that you got it into her cup without anyone noticing - when it happens, no one will be expecting it!"  
  
Snape stared hard at his book, not wanting any confrontation. Maybe they hadn't seen him yet.  
  
Malfoy and his lackey made for the stairs up to the boys' rooms, walking fast.  
  
"We had better hurry and get back to all the fun that will be waiting for us," The lackey said, excitement sparking in his husky voice.  
  
"Duh. I don't want anyone to ask her any of the good questions while I am not there. Who knows what state the Great Hall will be in when we get back." Loud thumps sounded as the two stomped up the stairs.  
  
After waiting till he heard a door slam, Snape sighed and immediately shut his book, and set it on the floor beside him.  
  
With a quick glance around to make sure no one else was watching, he made his way out of the Slytherin common room.  
  
He walked quickly, going over the conversation he'd overheard in his mind. He was almost certain the girl they were referring to was Lydia, almost completely positive. mostly because of the reference to the veritaserum. Who else had any information inside them that Malfoy would desire to such an extent that he would sneak veritaserum into their goblets?  
  
Trying to keep a straight face, he turned to the corridor that led to the Great Hall. He tried to keep his mind clear, too, not wanting to think about all the things that could have already happened in the Great Hall. He silently prayed that the veritaserum wasn't meant for Lydia, or that Lydia wasn't thirsty at the moment.  
  
He walked quickly toward the entrance to the Great Hall, and suddenly realized that anything he did to prevent Lydia from drinking from her cup, or rescue her and inevitably himself from her if she already had, would definitely cause a great commotion and a scene Severus didn't want imprinted on everyone's mind.  
  
Goddamn, he thought, and slowed down in front of the entrance. He turned and leaned against the wall beside the entrance, trying to think up a good excuse to get Lydia out of there without gathering attention.  
  
"Professor Sicily needs to see us, about our potion," He whispered, trying out different tones of voices, seeing what would be believable or not. No, that won't work.  
  
Snape stood there for another second, and suddenly came up with a foolproof plan. He decided to just run in, grab her cup, splash it on someone, and then run out, and hope that she hadn't drunk any of it yet. Anyone who saw the occurrence would blame it on Snape's nasty behavior and rudeness, like that black haired, hooked-nosed Slytherin he was supposed to be.  
  
He snapped his eyes shut, scrunched up his nose, and turned to walk into the Great Hall. And ran straight into something.  
  
Thinking it was just the wall, and that he hadn't been as close to the entrance as he thought (and feeling slightly stupid), he opened his eyes to observe the damage - and saw Lydia.  
  
He looked over her head quickly, before hiding himself behind the wall again, and saw the Gryffindor table, where many people were gathered in a group around the end of the table, talking avidly.  
  
Lydia looked up at him, a frightening expression in her eyes. She eyed him slowly as she made to get up.  
  
"Lydia?" He said disbelievingly. "Did you drink your goblet of-"  
  
"Yes," She said quietly, her expression hardening.  
  
Snape took her by the arm, and pulled her down the corridor, looking back into the Great Hall.  
  
"Well, we had better get out of here - some of your 'friends' are walking towards the entrance. Probably to follow you - Did they ask you any questions?" Snape snapped his head to his side, where Lydia was allowing herself to be dragged.  
  
"Yes," She said again, in a hollow, flat kind of voice.  
  
Snape frowned. He racked his mind for information about the veritaserum potion. The side effects, abilities, but mostly the ways you could tell if someone had taken it . He looked at Lydia from the corner of his eye. Subjects who drank so much as a drop of veritaserum would have to answer the whole, full truth to any question asked of them. but beyond that obvious fact he remembered nothing else.  
  
He looked to his side again. Mentally he debated which questions to ask her once they got out of the way of the Gryffindors and, undoubtedly, the rest of the houses coming to follow Lydia.  
  
"Did they ask you any questions concerning me?" He asked, hoping she would say no, praying she would say no.  
  
"Yes." She replied, again in her hollow voice.  
  
A door to his right suddenly caught Snapes eye, and so he made his way over to it, looking back, to check if anyone had spotted them. No one had, which was beyond his comprehension of wonderful, as he probably would have shot himself if someone had followed him down the hall, and watched him take her into a deserted room. It would have just been too much.  
  
The door opened easily enough, and, after Snape looked around and confirmed it, was empty. He sighed again.  
  
Pulling her in, he shut the door, and pulled out his wand. There were no windows in the room, and even if there had been, they wouldn't have been very helpful so late. He lit the room with a spell.  
  
Sighing once more, he turned around to face Lydia, who was standing in the same spot she was in when he had let go of her.  
  
He walked over slowly, narrowing his eyes slightly.  
  
"Are you having problems moving on your own?" He asked, trying to think back to the Potent Potions book he had, with the veritaserum page in it. The one Lydia had given him, in fact. Some people reacted to veritaserum that left them immobile while the potion was most potent in their systems, leaving them completely dependent on others for the time being. Some could only speak when asked a question, though this was mostly not the case. Other people still seemed to fall half unconscious, unaware of their surroundings and other people, only awake to answer questions.  
  
But by the way Lydia was reacting, he could only assume that either she was an odd case, or that Professor Sicily tampered with the potion, which she may well have, leaving the potion Malfoy thought was veritaserum as a more deluded version, or maybe a more potent one - or maybe a completely different potion with some of the same attributes as veritaserum.  
  
He sighed once more. "Damn that Malfoy," he whispered. Lydia looked up slightly, staring quizzically at him.  
  
"He dumped Veritaserum into your goblet," Snape said venomously, narrowing his eyes. He decided not to bother Lydia with his thoughts about the potion - she probably wouldn't even understand. "Malfoy's probably running around the castle now, trying to find you, so he can interrogate you before the potion wares off."  
  
He looked around the room. "Well, don't think I shall go," He eyed the door suspiciously, as if it were about to attack him. "They would jump me the moment I stepped out. And then I am sure I would come in contact with Malfoy some how, and then end up with a swig of Veritaserum down my throat as well."  
  
Slowly, he walked over to one of the empty desks and leaned a hand on it. He looked over to where Lydia was still standing.  
  
"Are you going to sit down, or stand there the whole time?" He rose an eyebrow.  
  
"I don't know," She said, staring at him again, not blinking.  
  
Snape blinked. "Can you seriously not do it by yourself?"  
  
"I don't think I can," She said again.  
  
He lifted his hand from the desk and slowly walked over to where she was standing. He put his hand on her arm and turned her around, and pushed on her back till she was right next to an empty seat.  
  
"You're halfway there. Now, bend your legs and sit." He folded his arms and backed away from her, while she still stood.  
  
A thought suddenly occurred to him. "Wait - how did you manage to leap out of your chair and make it into the corridor outside the Great Hall, then, if you can't manage to sit down in a chair?" He furrowed his eyebrows and eyed her.  
  
"I am guessing it was a momentary gain of self control allowing myself to get up and out of that horrible situation," She said quickly in her monotonous tone.  
  
Snape stared. Well, it had to be true.  
  
"You know," He said slowly, a small grin floating across his face. "I could ask you anything I want right now," He moved over to the empty desk behind him, and sat. "And there are so many questions I have."  
  
She narrowed her eyes.  
  
"You don't approve of that, do you?" He said, and tried to contain the fun he was having with this. He didn't really intend to ask her anything he really wanted to - mostly because he had the feeling she would answer an answer he didn't want to hear. He was just teasing her, trying to get an angry reaction out of her drugged state. But it was so much fun.  
  
"No." Lydia moved her leg slightly and plopped in the chair behind her.  
  
"Bravo," Snape held back a laugh. "I thought you could do it." She just stared back, eyes focused more on some point behind him. "You know, I doubt Malfoy even put Veritaserum into your goblet - damn fool probably picked some other vial, thinking it was Veritaserum... I think this is some tampered version of the potion. Your thoughts?"  
  
"I do not know what the effects of Veritaserum." She said, and Snape felt slightly alarmed as he watched her gaze slip out of focus.  
  
Snape cleared his throat and prepared a random question to ask, just to get an answer.  
  
"So what was that thing you had in the library this morning that you were pouring over? And why did you tear out of the library so fast with it?" He leaned his elbow on the tabletop, and rested his cheek against his hand, careful to keep his sleeve from slipping down.  
  
But, no one ever noticed this habit he had hastily developed.  
  
Lydia took in a deep, rattling breath, and began to explain the list, and other necessary details to Snape.  
  
When she was finished, Snape nodded, bored. "Well, then, that makes sense. Has Dumbledore done anything about the names you gave him yet, or has that part still to come?" Snape eyed the door again. "Well, I hope he isn't looking for you now,"  
  
"I have already seen him about it,"  
  
Seeing a sort of sad look on her face, he decided not to question that part. Though he wanted to know probably more then anything else at that moment. It was one of those things that he would feel better about if she told it to him willingly.  
  
"Alright." Snape sunk in his chair, and stared at the floor for a few quiet minutes.  
  
After awhile, he asked quietly, "Do you feel any less. drugged?"  
  
"A little," She said slowly, still staring forward with an unfocused gaze.  
  
"And what do you mean by that?" He looked up at her face, raising his eyebrows slightly.  
  
"I don't know, you asked me what I felt, and I answered."  
  
"Can you talk by yourself now? Or do I still have to ask you a question first?"  
  
"I don't know, I have not tried to do so yet."  
  
"Well, try."  
  
Lydia stared down at Snape, her gaze unflinching.  
  
"Alright then - don't try. I don't really care." Snape set his head down on the desk closest to him, and closed his eyes. "I don't even know why I'm here, really. I could have just left you here until you regained your senses, or just not have come down at all to rescue you. you know, your actions are constantly disproving all my theories I am trying to make about the potion you are seemingly under."  
  
"I could have rescued myself, thank you very much."  
  
"Ah, but you wouldn't have done it very well. I doubt you would have gotten past the Great Halls' entrance." He popped open his eyes and wearily eyed her, wondering how she would angrily respond.  
  
"You just came to help me because you wanted to save your own butt. Anything I told would easily be something that endangered your survival too. Something that you wouldn't want the world to know."  
  
"I think that that is a very unfair accusation, even if it is true," Snape rose his head off the desk, narrowing his eyes slightly. "I could have just as easily come down the hallway in a gallant manner, brave and bold, ready to whisk you out of danger thinking only of you. But no, you're pretty much right." He laid his head back on the desk.  
  
"Damn, I should have brought a recorder of some sort. You must be pretty tired to have admitted that I would be right on anything. Am I really that much of a burden?"  
  
"Yes." Snape whispered, nearly fallen asleep. "You are a pain in the ass to keep track of, and I can't leave you to fend for yourself. You will end up killing your reputation, and, what's infinitely worse, mine."  
  
"Well, it would be a hell of a lot easier if so many people weren't ganged up against me! What did I do to deserve this?" She looked up at the ceiling in a depressing manor, which distracted Snape from his wishes of peaceful sleep.  
  
"You can move - how long have you been able to move?" He sat straight up in his seat.  
  
"Since the beginning." Lydia sat in her seat, elbows resting on the desk in front of her, her eyes lingering on the walls and posters and things around the room.  
  
"But. but you - you lied? Well, thank you very much, I spent this whole time tiring myself trying to think of what kind of potion you were under based on your apparent side effects, while you were this whole time lying about your side effects -" Snape stood, ready to bolt over to Lydia and strangle her.  
  
"Well, you seemed so bothered by the fact that I wouldn't move, I had to play off of that." Lydia shrugged her shoulders slightly, raising her eyebrows as she moved her gaze over to the fuming Snape. "You are in a bitchy mood, aren't you? Don't get so excited about it, I was only having a little fun at your expense."  
  
"OK, I think you are completely better now. Why don't you get up and along to bed? So that I can go and get some sleep." Snape stood suddenly, stretching his arms behind him.  
  
Lydia suddenly paled. "No," She whispered, putting her head down in her arms. "I don't want to go back," Her muffled voice rose through her robe, which she had not been in before dinner, Snape noticed.  
  
Snape looked down, and snapped back his arm that had instinctively reached down to comfort her. "Why don't you want to go to your house dormitories?" He tried to keep his voice normal and flat.  
  
"Because everyone will be up till three in the morning waiting for me anyway, and they will all ask me things like 'are you in love with snape' and 'where do you disappear to all the time' and other things like -"  
  
Lydia picked up her head and slapped a hand over her mouth, staring at Snape.  
  
"I didn't want to tell you that," She whined, putting her head back down into her arms, burying her face. "I am still under the goddamn potion. I can't go back, I can't!"  
  
"Alright, alright!" Snape backed away from her, fearing that she would leap up and attack him. "Go ahead and stay, then, but I am going back. The longer I am away, the longer I will be questioned." He stepped towards the door, but was suddenly pulled back by a tight grip on his arm.  
  
"No, you're not. You brought me here, and you are going to stay and explain to me some things." Lydia picked her face back up, revealing her determined expression and fiery eyes, though they were slightly red, and yanked him back.  
  
Incredibly surprised, Snape stood, mouth slightly open, as he stared at Lydia.  
  
"I want to know why you came down here so fast, and how you managed to know about this little trip that Malfoy pulled on me," Here she narrowed her eyes further. "But didn't tell me sooner, and. and.. Some other things, but, I can't remember them right now." Lydia let go of his arm, and sat back in her chair. She, somehow, intensified her gaze on him as he backed away into the closest chair.  
  
"I did not know a thing about this before it happened. I found out about two minutes after it happened as Malfoy came into the Slytherin common to brag about it. Then I came down here and ran into you at the Great Hall entrance." Snape leaned back in his chair, preparing himself to leap up and towards the door.  
  
"But why did you want to help me? Wouldn't you just want to sit back and watch?"  
  
Snape shifted uncomfortably in his seat.  
  
"Like you said before - it was because I was basically saving myself. Something, sooner or later, would have come out about me." Snape stilled himself, trying to read the expression on Lydia's face. "And I wouldn't just sit back and watch you get tortured, I am not that cruel," Snape grinned.  
  
Lydia eyed him. "I am going to do the unpredictable thing here, and not comment." She sighed. "Ask me a question - I want to see if that potion has worn off yet." After a suspicious pause, she added, "But don't abuse that privilege."  
  
Most of his thoughts were squashed at that comment, and racked his mind for an easy yet still interesting question. "Well - what happened when you were in the Great Hall?"  
  
She took in a deep breath, and closed her eyes. "After I went into the Great Hall, I sat in my normal spot- at the end of the Gryffindor house table. Malfoy and one of his stupid cronies came up to me and bugged me for a moment - and then left. I just thought nothing of it, and that it was just another one of his random events to try and shake me up. So, I continued eating. And took a drink out of my goblet.  
  
"I was almost finished at that point, and didn't notice anything different. My ex-friend Lily came up to me, and was talking about stuff like, 'oh, I am so worried about you' and 'just come and sit back with me, I am sorry about everything' and 'We need to talk about some things'. She was followed over by Remus, and he was saying a bunch of the same things. I was basically just answering all their questions, and couldn't make myself stop, and it was freaking me out.  
  
"At that point, they were wondering why I wasn't responding to them. They started to ask me things, like, if I was mad at them, and stuff. And, I just answered 'yes' or 'no', and then they started getting into some really, really complicated questions.  
  
"And by then, the rest of the heard had moved over. They are attached at the goddamn hip, all of them, I swear it. After a few embarrassing questions, I was thinking to myself, god - just kill me - and all I wanted to do was get up and run out of the place. But I couldn't, they were basically pinning me down. Lydia had me by one arm, and Remus by the other. Then they asked me something - something - Horrible. Then I just stood up, freaked them out, I guess, because they all let go of me, and I ran - right into you."  
  
She relaxed instantly, and sighed. "Well, I am thinking that the potion isn't out of my system yet,"  
  
Snape sat there, mouth slightly open. "I think I am going to ask you what that one question was," He said slowly, a grin floating on his face.  
  
Lydia narrowed her eyes. "No. Too bad, I won't tell you. I don't care how much you ask, or how many barrels of veritaserum are poured into me, I will never answer that question."  
  
"For one thing, you can't resist pure, undiluted veritaserum, no matter how much will-power you have."  
  
"Didn't I hear you say that what I took was veritaserum?" She said, eyeing him.  
  
"Well, it was basically veritaserum," Snape said, scooting his chair over. "But I thought that I explained myself clearly - I don't know why I thought that you would've understood me though-"  
  
"I understood perfectly," She said sniffily, narrowing her eyes. "I just didn't know if you understood,"  
  
He leaned towards her, hoping the expression he was trying to give looked as intimidating as it was supposed to be.  
  
"Tell me what the question was," He said, narrowing his eyes.  
  
She snorted and raised an eyebrow. "That was a command, not a question. Like telling me to answer you would work. Not even in your dreams, sorry."  
  
"Who asked the question?" Snape leaned over further.  
  
"Sirius." She said offhandedly.  
  
He raised an eyebrow. "Hmm." He folded his arms, and leaned back. "Whatever that question was, it had to have been a sick, twistedly perverted one (if asked by Sirius) and you would have answered 'yes' to it, or you wouldn't have freaked out and pulled together the strength to run out of that place." Snape's grin widened. "Tell me the question," He said, purposely not making it a question. "please?" he added, just for good measure.  
  
"No," She said, turning around in her chair and facing the wall.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because it had to do with you," She said, and immediately turned around, her hand on her mouth. "Arg!" She cried, and glared at Snape.  
  
Snape leaned back and stared.  
  
"STOP asking little questions like that! It's not fair! I shouldn't have to answer every little thing you ask. If you are meant to know the answer, you would figure it out some other way - and NOT by forcing me to tell you!"  
  
"Alright then. I am just going to leave now. I am sure I will find out from the school's gossip sooner or later, though it might be stretched out in detail a little bit." He stood up, irritated, and made for the door again.  
  
"Fine, go, I don't care at all. In fact, I am leaving too." Lydia stood from her seat and leapt across the room to the door, running in front of Snape.  
  
She put her hand on the handle, waited a few seconds, and then took her hand off it.  
  
"Could you. um. look out there first? To see if anyone is coming?" She looked up sheepishly, and forced a half smile onto her face.  
  
Grabbing the doorknob and turning it, looked out into the deserted hallway. An evil idea came to him, and he had to work very hard to suppress his grin. He shut the door quickly.  
  
"A whole group of Gryffindors are coming down this way," He said quietly, turning around to face Lydia.  
  
Reaching for the doorknob, she said, "But why would Gryffindors be coming down here? The Gryffindor room entry is-"  
  
Snape leaned back on the door, preventing Lydia from opening it. "Don't look out there, they will see you. Obviously, they must be searching for you, and who knows what that will lead to,"  
  
Unable to stop the grin that came to his face, humoring his own cleverness, he walked over to one of the empty seats.  
  
"I am just going to sit down for a bit longer, then." He leaned back in the chair, and folded his arms behind his head.  
  
Hesitantly, Lydia left the side of the door and made for one of the empty seats.  
  
"Well, thanks, I guess, for keeping me from that bit of danger," Lydia plopped down and leaned her head on the table in front of her and closed her eyes.  
  
Ignoring the pang of guilt for lying to her, he watched her sit and breath silently. Wondering what he would do now to annoy her, he turned towards the front of the room, and stared at the dusty chalkboard.  
  
"I am bored out of my wits," Lydia said suddenly, picking up her head and sitting straight in her chair.  
  
Snape, turning to his side to watch her, leaned back further in his chair. "Well, that is great and all, but what do you propose we do about it?"  
  
Lydia turned her head towards Snape slowly, revealing an expression on her face that he hadn't seen before.  
  
In the blink of an eye, she had stood up, and pulled out her wand, and aimed it in Snapes face.  
  
"Severus Snape, I challenge you to a duel."  
  
~*~  
  
Lydia grinned and wiggled her wand in front of Snapes face.  
  
He focused his gaze on the wand, then pushed it away.  
  
"Be prepared to get your ass kicked." He stood quickly, drawing his long wand out of his pocket. He stepped back and walked quickly to the empty space between the students' tables and the teachers' desk.  
  
"Ha! The day you manage to beat me is the day Malfoy transfers to Gryffindor." She jumped a few meters in front of where Snape stood. However, behind her mask of confidence, she could almost hear Malfoy running down to Professor McGonagall that moment.  
  
Forcing herself to have more confidence, she bowed over slightly, eyeing Snape in mock loathing. "Prepare to go down, Slytherin boy," She straightened herself, and expectantly waited.  
  
A light seemed to go off in Snape's head, that Lydia cared not to worry about. He jerked his head down quickly, then pointed his wand out in front of him.  
  
Lydia positioned her wand in front of her, glad for something interesting to do with all the time that she would end up spending in this dusty room.  
  
"Un-guard," Snape said, tilting his head down and looking up menacingly.  
  
Quickly, Lydia whispered a spell to shield her from most curses and charms. It was the best thing she could think of at the moment.  
  
"Yes, er, same to you," She said, and racked her mind for a good spell to send flying at Severus. Without realizing it, she had slightly lowered her wand, and temporarily forgot to pay attention to what was happening in front of her.  
  
Snape took a step forward and raised his wand a bit, and said something quickly under his breath.  
  
Too late, she tried to dodge the spell by leaping to the side, but, the little blue stream of light flew out, hitting Lydia in the side - giving her the feeling that she was being hit with very cold water.  
  
She was immediately swept off her feet and pushed a bit harshly back against the wall, and lifted a few feet into the air. Snape grinned menacingly, stepping a few more steps closer to where she was cemented against the wall.  
  
"You are so easy," He sighed. "This disgraces the name of duels. Have you ever been instructed in dueling? You made it sound like I would have to work to-"  
  
Lydia pointed her wand toward Snape, careful not to drop it as her hand was plastered to the wall along with the rest of her body, and whispered the first charm that came to her mind.  
  
Snape's legs started to wobble, and suddenly, they gave out from underneath him, and he fell to the ground. Lydia laughed.  
  
"Whoa, not so easy now, is it?" She tried to pull her hand away from the wall, or a leg, but it was as though she was glued to it. She turned her wand around in her hand, trying to point it towards herself, and whispered, "Finite Incantato," and braced herself as she dropped to the floor.  
  
Snape, looking up and seeing that she had gotten down, got up on his knees and tried to stand by supporting himself with a table.  
  
"Damn," he whispered, and, too late, he turned his wand on himself and tried to fix his situation.  
  
Lydia turned her wand on him. "Expeliarmus!" she cried, and watched as Snape was flattened onto the ground from his sitting position and was scooted backwards several feet. She caught the expelled wand that flew through the air towards her.  
  
"Ha HA!" she laughed, pointing both the wands at Severus, half-dancing, half-walking around Snape's flattened form.  
  
"Oh, how terribly clever of you," He brought his upper half up with a groan, and straightened his legs out in front of him. He smiled up at her deviously, eyeing his wand that she held out of the corner of his eye. "Will you at least fix this?" he waved a hand over his legs, which refused to move, while trying and failing at making an expression of helplessness.  
  
Lydia put her wand to her chin, carefully eyeing him. "Alright... it isn't much fun just beating you so easily, anyways." She pointed her wand at him, saying quickly, "Finite Incantato." and whipped her hand back.  
  
But before Lydia could pull back her wand in time, Snape had leaned forward from his sitting position and grabbed the tip. He pulled back on it, trying to free it from her grip.  
  
She tried to tighten her hold on it too, intent on keeping it, while leaning back and pulling. But after another jerk from Severus' end, she lost her balance and toppled forward - right onto him.  
  
He just stared at her for a second, as she lay sprawled stomach first in his lap, then suddenly grinned.  
  
"You want the wand that bad, do you?" He pulled it from her hand, which was now just lying there in a dead limp during her deer-in-head-lights mode. She just stared.  
  
Something snapped in her brain, and Lydia suddenly realized the mess she had sprawled herself into, and began to back up, before she did anything else incredibly stupid. Desperately, she tried to keep down the red blush that she knew was creeping onto her cheeks. She thanked god for the dim lighting.  
  
Still sitting on the cold floor, Snape suddenly reached over and grabbed the side of her arm, holding her still, and pointed her wand at her nose threateningly.  
  
Lydia opened her mouth, confused, and eyed the hand that was closed around her arm.  
  
He turned his head slightly, and said quickly, "Petrifico,"  
  
Lydia cringed as suddenly she felt the powerless feeling of a kind of veritaserum potion sweep over her mind. She mustered up her will power and glared at him, wondering what he planed to do. She tried to move her legs, which were folded painfully underneath her, but she couldn't move.  
  
Without waiting, she tried to move her hand, in which she held Snape's wand, but it was useless. Snape, seeing Lydia's eyes move towards her hand, grabbed his wand.  
  
"Give that back! I am helpless, this is against the rules," She tried to get up, and at least try to grab back the wand, but basically couldn't move. "Bad form! Bad sportsmanship! Aren't you supposed to be a Gentleman? At least act like one,"  
  
"No," He said slowly, waving it in front of her. "I am going to find out what that question was, without you interrupting me," He grinned again, and narrowed his eyes.  
  
Lydia cringed inwardly, wanting to bang her head repeatedly for mentioning that stupid conversation to him. Damn that Sirius. Everything came down to that idiot, fool, god-damn dog Sirius! She wanted to scream in his face - both Sirius and Severus. Lydia put all effort into her pissed off stare she drilled into Snape's eyes.  
  
"Fine. Finite Incantato," Snape said quickly, still holding onto Lydia's arm.  
  
"Better," Lydia said, folding her legs Indian style in front of her while wondering why Snape would grant such mercy.  
  
Snape moved across the floor closer to her, tilting his head down slightly. Narrowing his eyes, he asked her, "What was the question that Sirius asked you?"  
  
Lydia, feeling the answer about to come out of her mouth, took her hand and slapped it over it. She tried to cough into her answer, too, to give it less clarity.  
  
Snape frowned, barely catching the words 'if' and 'you', then sighed. "Why don't you just tell me?" He reached over and pried her hand off her mouth. "Just -" he strained to keep her arm back from her head and still hold both of their wands. "Tell me it, and I will leave you alone,"  
  
Lydia held her breath, wanting to pass out or something, and also wanting to elbow Snape in the face. She could feel her anger bubbling up inside her, and felt a comment coming out of nowhere.  
  
"You little piece of. of. shit! I am going to kick your butt when this is over! And I will NOT play around this time, I promise, it is going to hurt and-"  
  
"Oh, please," Snape leaned forward, trying to situate his legs more comfortably. "Like you could. Who is in control now? Tell me what Black asked you," He leaned forward more. Lydia, feeling more uncomfortable, leaned backwards and unfolded her legs in front of her to keep her from leaning back to far and falling flat on the dusty ground.  
  
She closed her eyes and yanked on her arm, which was still in his grasp.  
  
"What did he ask you?" He said softly, his eyes boring into hers.  
  
Lydia, in a panic, leaned forward and stuffed a bit of her robes into her mouth and mumbled the answer.  
  
Severus watched in mild surprise as she did this, raising his eyebrows. "That question must've been good," He said, mostly to himself. He let go of one of Lydia's arms to point one of the wands he was holding to Lydia. "Well I guess I am just going to have to petrify you again,"  
  
Fast as she could, Lydia whipped her free arm's hand out in front of her, to grab those wands. Snape hurriedly put his hand behind his back, but she grabbed his sleeve, and jerked his hand back.  
  
She ripped the wands from his hand, and pulled herself back from Snape, holding the wands tightly in her grasp behind her back.  
  
Snape got quickly up on his feet and walked forward, staring at Lydia as she sat childishly on the ground. "I have to get my wand back sometime," He said, a bit of a laugh in his voice. "And I will never stop asking until I find out what that damn Black said,"  
  
"Well, then I won't stop telling you no!" Lydia, looking around quickly, and seeing no other way, scooted back a bit further from Snape, and held the wands in front of her chest, and with her other hand grabbed the collar of her robe.  
  
Snape's eyes widened as he observed what she was doing. "You wouldn't," He mouthed, his voice barely coming out above a whisper.  
  
She opened up the front of her robe, and looking quickly down to make sure the wands would go in the right place, shoved the wands down into it.  
  
Snape rushed forward, his hand stretched out, and mouth open.  
  
"You coward!" He hissed. "Take it out, take it out, now!" He fell to the ground and grabbed her shoulders and started to shake her, hoping the wands would fall.  
  
Lydia kept her mouth closed, and took Snapes hands off her shoulders. "I think that I am going to go now. I will give you back your wand... later. When I have decided that you have learned to stop being so nosy-" Snape grabbed her arm just as she was turning around.  
  
"No," He said quietly and stubbornly, turning her around to face him. "I will find out. And, I will get my wand back- but," He looked quickly down, turning a bit red. "But not right now. But I don't need the wand to ask you that one question. And since the wands are indisposed of right now, you can't retaliate." Snape leaned forward, a bit of a 'ha ha! I laugh at you!' tone in his voice. "And this time, nothing is going to stop you."  
  
Lydia looked around where she was sitting, a meter or two from the door- how she wished she could get out of this embarrassing situation and just run to her room -  
  
Snape clasped his hands over arms, and held them away from her. "I don't see why you are making this so difficult. All you have to do is tell me." He tightened his grip on her arms.  
  
"Never!" She cried. "Why am I making this difficult? Why are you making this difficult!" She struggled against him, afraid to tell him anything. It would absolutely ruin everything! Well, whatever was left... She tried to put her hands back over her mouth, but he pried them away again, and pushed her arms flat against the floor. She gave up trying to hold herself firm, and then she too fell back against the cold hard floor.  
  
"Now," Snape said slowly, tilting his head over where hers was laying, his knees snug against her hips. His hair fell back from behind his ears, cascading down around his face in a melancholy fashion.  
  
Lydia glared at him, trying on her most venomous expression. She narrowed her eyes, and tried to keep her eyes unfocused, to not look directly into his piercing black eyes, to not notice him basically laying on her - She closed her eyes, scrunching them shut.  
  
"What was it that Sirius Black asked you at the Diner table after you had drunk your goblet, that made you run out of the Great Hall in such desperation?"  
  
She could feel the answer surfacing from her throat, and before she noticed it, she was saying it, a bit to loudly,  
  
"He asked me if... if I thought I - I had a bit of a crush on you," She involuntarily opened her eyes, and watched as his gaze faltered, and his normally expressionless eyes flash with alien emotions. From what she could tell, it was either apprehension and fear or some sort of fierce anger.  
  
He let go of her arms suddenly, still staring Lydia in the face. She closed her eyes again.  
  
She waited a few seconds, and heard a door creak behind her, and knew that she was now alone in the room.  
  
Rolling over on her stomach, she pulled her and Severus' wands out of her shirt. She smiled sadly, thinking slowly that he probably wouldn't want it now.  
  
Closing her eyes, she stood, went to the door, and prepared to walk herself down to the Gryffindor common room, run from anyone that chased her, and cry herself to sleep.  
  
~*~  
  
Arg! Who did I piss off with that one? Huh? Huh? Aww, you poor babies. Sorry. I didn't know how to phrase that question, actually. It took me a year to get it right. SO puh-LEEZ review and tell me what you hated or loved about this chapter in a wonderful review or flame, all of which will be greatly appreciated.  
  
Thank you for reviewing so far! I know this story is getting frustrating. but I just can't do anything about it. Well, I could, but I absolutely, point blank, refuse to force the two people into bed together- boom- just like that. Or kiss, either. The romance will develop. Not pop up out of nowhere. develop. Anyone here who seriously thinks that Snapie would just out of the blue, or in the middle of something, just start kissing or molesting or whatever. well, no. And if you do think that then you have been living for a wee-bit too long in the fanfic world of romance, which doesn't exist. Sorry. No offense, I love you anyways, but.. I am trying to go at the pace in which it would happen, if it were real. I hope, anyways... O_O  
  
Weeeeeeeeeeeee! I love you, reviewers! *blows kisses* You are my favorite kinds of people. You are kind and considerate and wonderful. I can't believe I have over 200 reviews. I love you all!! *blows more kisses*  
  
Check out my other brand new story! By the way, it is another mini- snape/herm romance. I love those kinds. I am absolutely in love with them. Love. Not like, love.  
  
Oh, and please, please review! I need a reason for writing. (Hey, you seriously can't have wasted all your time reading my story just to give up on me, huh? Huh? Don't, please!!! I love yooou)  
  
If you have any suggestions, please tell me. It would make the story so much better! I am serious. If it weren't for my wonderful muse Harpy, this story would have died at chapter five. 


	14. Chapter 13

Messing With History  
  
By Mae Noelle  
  
~*~  
  
Disclaimer: See my stuff? Hah, neither do I.  
  
So. Please review! And make suggestions too! I love suggestions. Okay - I am really out of the whack of writing, so if there is anything incredibly overly wrong with this chapter, email me about it, and I will fix it, just for you.  
  
This will be mostly from Hermione's point of view - or should I say Lydia?  
  
I made this one extra long to make up for taking so long... this way its like two chapters, and it will take you forever to read!  
  
~*~  
  
Ch. 13 - Potions Class  
  
~*~  
  
Lydia lay in her bed, staring up with her arms behind her pillow, and blinked furiously to clear her vision, which was pointless, as it was around midnight and pitch black anyways.  
  
She had escaped the people on the way to her bed easily enough - there was no one. This greatly improved the mood of Lydia, which was, on a scale of 1 - 10, negative three hundred.  
  
But of course, after sitting down oh so comfortably on her bed and closing the curtains silently around her, Lily stirred in her own bed.  
  
So Lydia lay there, hoping to God that Lily would go back to sleep.  
  
Which, of course, didn't happen.  
  
"Lydia? Lydia, are you there yet?" Lily said groggily, and Lydia scrunched her eyes closed at the sound of curtains being torn open.  
  
"Yes," Lydia said involuntarily, and cringed, realizing the potion hadn't yet worn off.  
  
"Lydia? I have been waiting for you all night - don't worry, I am not going to bother you-" At this Lydia snorted. She immediately brought her hand over to her mouth, and opened her eyes, and through her curtains saw Lily walking towards her.  
  
"I'm not going to bother you - too much," Lily said again, and poked her head through Lydia's curtain. "Just please, talk to me."  
  
Lydia rolled over on her stomach and pressed her face into her pillow. "Leave me alone, Lily, or I will hex you."  
  
Lily sighed and rolled her eyes.  
  
"I am serious, Lily," Came Lydia's muffled voice from her pillow.  
  
"Yah, whatever, Lydia, I am NOT going to be nice anymore!" Lily walked up to Lydia's head, and Lydia tilted her head slightly and opened an eye, to see Lily's hand threateningly descending on her. Lydia blinked, and in a second was pillow-less. "Get up and talk to me! You can't run forever!"  
  
"That, my friend, is what you think." Lydia rolled over slightly and propped herself up on her elbow, and looked Lily in the eye. "I have been running this whole time, I'll have you know, and I have been fine-"  
  
"Fine my butt!" Lily tossed Lydia's pillow over her head, and with a 'poof' it hit the curtains of Lily's bed and fell to the ground. Lydia eyed the pillow sadly. "Look at you! You are a pathetic mess! I am not going to just let you eat yourself away again. I am your friend, and this is what friends do-"  
  
"Friends do not torture friends," Lydia said, still looking at her pillow.  
  
"I am not torturing you," Lily started, walking towards Lydia "I am trying to help-"  
  
"NO!" Lydia shouted, sitting up straight. "Pretending to be my friend, always leaving me by myself, making fun of me, trying to get me to like Sirius, making fun of me, going to Hogsmeade without me, not believing me when I tell the truth, keeping secrets from me, forgetting about me, not talking to me, being my friend one moment and then my enemy the next, letting me sit alone, cornering me at the Gryffindor table while I was under veritaserum, making me sit there, asking me horrible questions, embarrassing me, and making fun of me behind my back are NOT things that friends do! That is torture!" Lydia now was standing, a few inches from Lily's face, screaming.  
  
Lily, a distorted twist of a look on her face, pushed Lydia backwards, and, helplessly, Lydia flailed her arms, and watched in slow motion as she fell back onto her bed.  
  
"Lydia, stay there, and listen to me," Lily said, making to walk to the edge of Lydia's bed again.  
  
"Why did you just do that?" Lydia said, ignoring Lily. Lydia's brown bushy hair splayed out around her head, the messy ringlets falling into the folds of her covers, some falling across her face, but she did not make to move them. "Friends don't push their friends, either," Lydia said, kicking her right leg, which hung over her bed at the knee.  
  
"Lydia, no doubt you are under some potion - I can see by your current insanity - but please, just sit there and try to listen to me. I am sorry. I didn't even do half those things you are trying to accuse me of (For one, had I tried approach and re-befriend you while you were alone and brooding, you would have just shunned me away anyways)- but I am sorry, for everything. And as for the making-you-like-Sirius thing, I never did that - I was only counter attacking your making-me-like-James thing." Lydia snorted here. "Really, I am sorry." Lily leaned over her friend and tried to catch Lydia's gaze, which lingered on the iron polls holding up the bed curtains. "Please, just talk to me."  
  
Lydia looked over to Lily, and brought a hand to her face, and moved her stray hairs. She brought her legs back onto her bed, and with difficulty pulled herself to a sitting position among her covers. She pulled back her hair and folded her legs, and looked Lily in the eye.  
  
"Alright. But only if it has nothing to do with Severus." Lydia immediately shut her eyes, reopened them, smiled a ghost of a smile, and said, "I mean, Snape."  
  
Lily grinned and lifted her eyebrows. "Ok, you win."  
  
~*~  
  
Lydia slowly opened her left eye, and peered at the shadowy figure standing behind her coverings, holding its hands on its hips.  
  
"I know you're not sleeping. Get up, we are going to be late!" The shadowy figure stepped forward and extended its hand, ripping back the curtain as it walked past.  
  
"I don't believe in being early." Lydia rolled on her stomach and pressed her face into her pillow.  
  
"We aren't going to BE early this time - if we make it at all! Get your lazy bum off that bed and get ready. I am going to leave without you, you know," Lily popped her head into the gap between the curtains and stared down what she could see of Lydia.  
  
Lydia sighed. "I am going to die," she squeaked, violently shoving her head further into her pillow.  
  
"Lydia, we are just going to Care of Magical Creatures," Lily scooted part of Lydia's legs over, and sat on the edge of the bed. Lily watched as Lydia's back violently shuddered with the effort not to cry. A painstakingly pitiful look came over Lily's face. "And then we go to Potions. hours away."  
  
"I hate life. Life is so unfair. I am not going, I am too sick, and that's that. No one can make me go. I will flunk - but who cares? I will re-take sixth year potions with the class year below us, and end up going back to Hogwarts for an extra year just to do potions, who cares? It would be well worth -"  
  
"God, Lydia! Just shut up and get up! You are making me depressed! You are not coming back because you are not going to flunk. I won't let you."  
  
Lily watched Lydia remain motionless. An idea suddenly washed over her face, and she pulled out her wand.  
  
"Lydia, if, by the time I count to five, you aren't up, I will pull you around to all the classes in your pajamas," Lily waved her wand around in the air, and held up five fingers.  
  
"Five," She put one finger down. "Four," She put down her second finger. "ONE!" Lily stood up in a flash and in a second Lydia was lifted from her bed to about eight feet in the air, where she resumed her horizontal position.  
  
"Ok, Lily, funny, put me down." Lydia flailed her arms out, trying to reach Lily's head, in the process dropping the pillow which she had brought up with her.  
  
Lily paid no heed and began walking towards the door.  
  
"Lily. LILY. LILY!" Lydia shrieked and tried to cling to the door frame and walls as Lily made her way down the stairs. "OK, OK I promise! You cheated anyways! I will go change, just please, put me down this instant!"  
  
Lily turned around and bent down to look Lydia in the face, as Lydia was face down in her lying position in the air. "Promise?"  
  
"Yes I promise now let me down!" Lydia tried to stare daggers into her friends eyes, but from Lily's side all there came was the insurmountable amount of joy and annoying happiness.  
  
"Alright! C'mon, be quick, or we will be late!" Lily stood on the staircase and smiled sweetly. Lydia was floated back to the top of the stairs, and as soon as her feet reached the ground, she sprang for the door.  
  
Lily took a step up. "Oh, and if you even think about going back into your bed, I will break down the door and you will be hovering in your pajamas to each class today. Understand?" Lydia turned around to face her friend. Lily stood, her head held like iron in a superior way, arms folded across her chest, and her eyes narrowed in a deadly gaze.  
  
Lydia stood stupefied at the transformation in her friends demeanor. It was a complete wonder how the girl could be so sweet and innocent one second, then the devil herself the next. And then perfectly happy again. Lydia herself couldn't give up a grudge for at least a few days, usually weeks.  
  
Lydia nodded and walked into the room, closing the door behind her.  
  
~*~  
  
Sirius stood puzzled on the dewy grass of the yard outside the castle, staring blankly off into the distance, lost in thought.  
  
James stood beside him, looking around through his glasses at anything that seemed slightly odd, his black messy hair askew.  
  
Peter looked from James to Sirius, his eyes ready to burst forth a million questions.  
  
Remus walked in a circle around the three of his friends, eyes downcast, arms folded in front of him. He looked slightly pale, with heavy bags under his eyes - but it was mostly because of the mystery before him and his friends.  
  
"So if it's true -" Remus started.  
  
"Of course it's true!" Sirius suddenly burst out, tearing his eyes off the horizon to lock them with his friend. "We have gone over that damn map a million times! There is no flaw in it! The map is absolutely, completely, unbelievably perfect!" He spoke in an unusually quiet tone, uttering each word with as much emphasis and clarity as if he had shouted it aloud, and got the same reaction.  
  
"But why would she tell us that her name is Lydia if it is Hermione?" Peter said suddenly, stopping his wandering gaze at Sirius, who had taken to explaining the whole situation to everyone, as no one else wanted to do it.  
  
"I have already told you the answer to this a million times! The name isn't the point! Her real name could be Hermione and she calls herself Lydia as a nickname, maybe Lydia is her middle name and she doesn't want to be known by Hermione, maybe she was never told by her parents that her name was Hermione, and she was always called Lydia, maybe -"  
  
"But she told us her name was Lydia Minerva Gr -"  
  
"So she lied about her name! Maybe she is embarrassed by the name Hermione! I don't know. But this Hermione Granger is definitely Lydia. We have followed her around. The map is always right - in fact, it always has been!"  
  
"She was never in the library when we went down there," James said, looking over at Sirius.  
  
"So we came at all the wrong times. You saw the map. When Lydia moved right, so did the Hermione Granger dot. When Lydia went upstairs into the girls dormitory, so did the Hermione Granger dot. Lydia is Hermione Granger." Sirius stopped himself, and took in a deep breath.  
  
"What we need to find out is why Hermione Granger is always seen with Snape on the map."  
  
Sirius looked at James with an incredulous look on his face. "Oh, god, that has to be the most clear of all the questions! All those rumors can't have just been made out of nothing! I don't know why we are all still discussing this whole 'Hermione Granger' issue. Everything is settled - Hermione is Lydia, and Lydia is in love with Snape. Clear as day. Why don't we all drop the issue, and go on with our lives? That damn girl was only here for, like, a few months of our lives. It should be easy to just drop it. Drop her."  
  
Sirius turned around, arms folded, and stared into the dark forest.  
  
James, Remus, and Peter stared at him. Remus gave James a questioning look, and James shrugged in reply.  
  
They stood like that for a few moments, until out of the corner of Remus' eye there came bounding across the yard two figures.  
  
"I have an amusing idea," Remus said suddenly.  
  
James and Peter turned to Remus, and Sirius looked over his shoulder slightly.  
  
"Ok. we wait until Lydia gets here, and then shout out 'Hermione'. Then we see if she bats an eye or not. There isn't another Hermione in our school, so we don't have to worry about anyone else responding to the name, and most people know to ignore whatever we say or do during class - so - hopefully - Lydia would be the only one. If she has any clue that that is somehow her name, she should at least look over here. And. if it even slightly unnerves her, we should call her 'Hermione' every time we see her, on 'accident'. Maybe she will give up and confess everything to us," Remus stopped and took in a deep breath, and looked around, looking slightly excited, to his friends.  
  
James nodded his head. "Ok, sounds good to me."  
  
Peter grinned. "Can I shout the name?"  
  
Sirius kept his back to them all, and continued staring forward into the forest.  
  
~*~  
  
Lydia barely kept herself from falling flat on her face while being dragged behind by a Lily-on-turbo.  
  
"We are almost there. should make it. on time." Lily breathed, stumbling slightly.  
  
'It's about time she started to run out of breath,' Lydia thought, wheezing as she again tried to rid her arm of the vice-like-grip of Lily.  
  
"Almost there, Lydia, don't give up yet -"  
  
"I would have given up ten minutes ago when we started, if you hadn't been pulling me! I couldn't give up now if I wanted to!" Lydia suddenly shouted, unaware of the sudden strength that had magically allowed to her to speak.  
  
Lydia allowed herself to be pulled the remaining hundreds of feet when she saw the teacher walk out to the middle of the group of students, bags in hand.  
  
The teacher, who had multiple limbs and things reattached after his years of working with magical creatures, stood waiting impatiently for the two girls to join the class.  
  
Lily sprinted the last hundred feet and stopped on a dime, letting go of Lydia, and smiled sweetly to the teacher. Lydia, being suddenly torn off her groove, stopped too late and was flung into Lily, sending them both to the ground.  
  
Most of the students pointed and snickered, mostly at Lydia. Feeling even more tired, Lydia picked herself up and found a spot on the grass, sitting greatfully.  
  
The class began as usual, the teacher showing them some odd new creature that they were supposed to learn how to take care of for the next week or so, and listing off a class' worth of information that everyone was supposed to take note of for the final exam, and to keep their creature alive for the current assignment.  
  
Lily, of course, had out her quill and parchment, and was copying down every word.  
  
Lydia felt that she should be doing the same thing, more, even, but she could justify sitting in a state of extreme self-pity more easily then she could justify studying. She couldn't find any initiative to take notes either.  
  
In the middle of her devastatingly cruel thoughts towards Potions class and the entire school of Hogwarts, someone's yelling interrupted her disastrous thoughts.  
  
The first time it was called out, a couple people turned their heads to see who was making all the noise, but the second and third times no one paid any attention.  
  
Lydia shook herself out of her self pity to hear the word called a fourth and final time.  
  
"Hermione!"  
  
Lydia stopped breathing. Starring off to her side, into the depths of the forbidden forest, she let her eyes slip out of focus, blurring the innumerable amount of trees together, turning her view of the world into blotted shapes of green, brown, black, blue, and white.  
  
Feeling the wheels inside her head turning, she mentally dug through the mess of memories and odd information stored and locked away inside her mind.  
  
She felt her head move unconsciously towards the voice calling out the name, almost in slow motion, and caught the eyes of four young men, staring eagerly in her direction, watching, waiting, hoping it to not be true, disappointment evident in their eyes.  
  
The dark gaze of Sirius caught her attention. His black hair glistened slightly in the morning sun as he turned his head to match Lydia's own gaze.  
  
A picture of a man with long, ratty black hair and a sunken face with the same piercing black eyes as the one she stared at now floated to the top of her mind, as often happened when dealing with Sirius.  
  
Sirius turned himself around, a disgusted look on his face, but all Lydia could see was the picture of the man in her head, a look of the same magnitude plastered to his face, while dealing with another rat.  
  
Lydia gasped.  
  
She could almost feel the light in her head going from off to dim. The crazy, ongoing spinning of her mind, all that she could ever remember experiencing, slowed slightly.  
  
Two pieces of information clicked together in the gigantic scrambled puzzle in her mind, and though it was a slight victory, Lydia felt a sudden lift off her heavy shoulders, and the world suddenly looked brighter.  
  
Snuggles. Or something like that. Sirius. That damn dog. That man in her head was Sirius...  
  
Lydia took in a rattling breath, and suddenly realized that she was swaying slightly. She felt incredibly dizzy. Gripping the grass thankfully, she uncrossed her legs and stretched them out in front of her, leaning back on her arms, marveling at the intense feeling of mystery flowing through her mind.  
  
Immediately with the thought of that man came a flood of sadness towards him that she couldn't quite explain - and the sad face of James' twin came to mind again, though the twin had an odd scar and green eyes.  
  
She let her mind venture again to the older version of Sirius. She felt her mind stagger again at the impossibility of it - she was in the past! Her past! But it was the present now - so is everyone going about their daily lives in some parallel universe, without Lydia? No. not Lydia. Her name wasn't Lydia. She had gotten too used to calling herself that.  
  
Lydia sat back up, focused on some point in the grass, and tried to resolve the mess in her head.  
  
If she knew the older Sirius. then she must know Remus, James, and Peter. and of course Lily. they all must have stuck together.  
  
That whole one-sided conversation in her mind seemed awfully familiar, but it had been forever since she had resorted to trying to think up her past.  
  
She tried to get a mental picture of someone - anyone - that might stimulate her to remember again.  
  
Unfortunately, this didn't work. Her mind tried to grab a hold of the rapidly receding wave of memories that were flooding her head, hoping to snatch another piece of her past before the opportunity was lost forever, which Lydia was afraid would happen.  
  
Lydia again was brought back to the mental image of the older Sirius. This time she doubted her thoughts; she couldn't see how that filthy man could be Sirius - the Sirius sitting in the grass only a few feet away from her-  
  
She crossed her legs again, and set her elbows on her knees, bringing her chin down to rest in her palms.  
  
This time her rapidly changing movements caught Lily's eye, and Lily turned a little to look over Lydia, who was staring off into some point in the distance, trying to remember anything that might indicate to why the future Sirius looked like a deranged hobo.  
  
Lily leaned over slightly, and slowly raising her hand up from the ground, brought it down heavily and quickly on Lydia's arm with a loud smack.  
  
Lydia, more shocked at being taken out of her reverie then hurt, brought her gaze over to Lily, who sat grinning.  
  
"What were you thinking about?" Lily whispered, not wanting to draw any more attention.  
  
"Nothing," Lydia said, not bothering to be quiet, as she was slightly still in her thought mode. "That concerns you,"  
  
"Tell me - you looked so absorbed in your thoughts, it must be worth having a conversation over!" Lily looked up at the professor for a moment, before quickly jotting down more notes on her quickly crowding parchment. "Please!"  
  
"Hey - wait - " Lydia focused her gaze on Lily, and resorting back to her more recent memories, said, "Last night I never said that I forgave you for- "  
  
"Oh, please! Enough of that nonsense! I am your best friend! Well, I hope so anyways, I might not be, but I am sure I am one of your only friends, not to mention the only other girl in the sixth year-"  
  
"Excuse me, Miss Evens, do you have something you need to share with the whole class?" The Professor stood, book open in his right hand, with a dead stare aimed at Lily.  
  
Lily shook her head, and returned to her quill and parchment for a few minutes, leaving Lydia back to her musings.  
  
Lydia concluded to herself that the Sirius picture in her head had to be around thirty-six, forty at the most, thirty at the least - not that the picture looked it - that wild looking man in her head looked about fifty, but the age thirty-six seemed to click with her.  
  
So she knew Sirius when he was thirty-six. Or at least met him, to get that scary picture stuck in her mind.  
  
Quickly she tried to remember everything else of her past that she had remembered before, but the only thing that came to her was Remus' werewolf bit. And she often saw a picture of James, but he had green eyes. And an odd scar, too.  
  
She mentally decided that she would have to go to the library again that night, no matter what.  
  
While sitting in her dream state, she was suddenly pushed over, by Lily.  
  
"C'mon, get up. First you don't want to get here, then you don't want to leave! We have to make a break for potions, hurry it."  
  
Lydia looked up to see all of the people around her getting up, dusting off their robes, and walking off in the direction of the school. Lydia stared forward for a minute, and then was suddenly shaken out of her reverie, and stood with Lily, and they made their way to the castle.  
  
"So what were you thinking about that entire hour of class time? Are you going to need to copy my notes again, cause this time I think I am going to charge you. It is hard to get everything he said, and you shouldn't get to copy it all at your own pace. That isn't quite fair. Oh, and - so I was thinking, and, before you bash this, listen carefully - we spread out rumors of other people, chiefly Sirius and Malfoy, which I thought would be to your liking, and maybe of Snape too, because if there were fifty thousand rumors about him going off, then no one would pay any attention to the rumors about you and him." Lily rambled on and on, like she normally did when comfortable, but Lydia paid only a fraction of her attention to her.  
  
Her mind was mostly focused on the upcoming potions lesson, which she had forgotten, which involved a certain potion they were making that would last two months - two months to spend with one partner - and her partner was Severus!  
  
Lydia groaned, and a fresh lump made it's way up her throat, and she paused to lean against the cold wall that they were passing by.  
  
Lily paused in her ramblings to look back at Lydia. "Lydia? Are - are you all right? What do you think about my idea?" Lydia just slumped, leaning against the wall, her eyes watering slightly. "Lydia, what's wrong?" Lily sighed and threw her hands up to the air, and, calmly, placed her hand on Lydia's shoulder.  
  
"What's wrong, Lydia?" Lily said again, this time leaning against the wall and watching her friend skate across the thin red line of insanity.  
  
Lydia looked up, a sad expression in her eyes.  
  
"Lily, I can't go to Potions," Lydia said desperately.  
  
Lily sighed. "I doubt Snape would believe all the incessant rumors that will be flying around about yesterday," Lily said quietly. "Even if they are true - he seemed to be the only one completely unaffected before,"  
  
"It- it's not that -" Lydia said slowly. "Well, it sort of is. but not."  
  
Lily eyed Lydia warily.  
  
"OK, this is the last secret I keep from you, I swear it," Lydia said quickly, standing straight. "And it is a fine last secret, too. By telling you this, I am killing off all my dignity, pride, I don't know - everything. If I can't keep this one personal thing a secret, then nothing else will be secret, don't worry."  
  
"Lydia," Lily said slowly, "Could you just tell me? Please?" She straightened her posture and widened her eyes as she waited impatiently for the story Lydia was about to tell her.  
  
Lydia sighed, and began walking again, but barely picked up her feet. "Well, last night, after that spell in the Great Hall, when I said I was hiding... I wasn't exactly lying to you, but, more happened..."  
  
And Lydia proceeded to tell Lily every detail about the night before that sent Lydia crying to her room.  
  
Lily stopped in her tracks.  
  
"He did what?!" Lily shouted, her cry splitting the silence that the dungeon held so darkly.  
  
"I told you, he lef-" Lydia said quietly, looking back at Lily, irritated at having to repeat so personal a part.  
  
"I heard you the first time!" Lily shouted again, again disrupting the eerie peacefulness of the dungeons.  
  
"Could you possibly be any more quiet?" Lydia sputtered, looking around the hall feverishly before bringing her glare back upon her friend.  
  
"I can NOT believe he would just LEAVE after you told him!" Lily shouted again, and this time Lydia ran back to her and covered Lily's mouth with her hand.  
  
"If you do not stop shouting out every piece of our conversation, I will never, I repeat, never, speak to you again," Lydia hissed, almost feeling the knives flying from her eyes.  
  
Lily nodded, amusement dancing in her eyes, and Lydia let go.  
  
"I can't believe that insolent, stupid, idiotic, retarded, bastard-of-a- man, cruel, mean, horrid, disgusting, pig-headed, retarded, and - I can't think of any more words that are synonyms to his own name, but - I can't believe he would just leave! How cruel! How mean! How-"  
  
The stomping of someone behind them suddenly interrupted Lily.  
  
"Come along, girls, you will be late for class," Huffed Professor Sicily, storming past the two, leaving them both standing flustered in her dust.  
  
"Well, let's hurry it," Lily said, before sprinting ahead.  
  
She stopped and looked back.  
  
Lydia stood frozen in her tracks, looking forward with a horrified expression in her eyes. She slowly took a step backwards, and then another, and then another.  
  
Lily sprung backwards and grabbed her arm.  
  
"No you don't, you baby, come here, right now. We are going to potions class!" Lily cried out, and began to run ahead.  
  
Lydia blinked back her tears and bit her lip, and could taste the coppery blood in her mouth. She looked forward with hesitation, hoping for some reason that the door to the potions room would never come, but ahead of her and Lily the last of the students were piling into the room, and the door was shutting behind them.  
  
Lily put on a burst of speed, and reached out with her hand to grab the door, but it shut before they got there.  
  
They both stood out in front of the door, just standing there, out of breath and slightly dazed.  
  
Lily reached out her hand to grasp the handle, knowing full well that it would be locked, but wanted to make the noise anyway, and then balled her hand into a fist, and knocked on the door.  
  
Lydia took in a deep breath, and shut her eyes, preparing to go to her doom, when the creaking sound of the door. She quickly decided that she would just keep her gaze downward the entire time, no matter what, and perhaps ask the professor permission to go down to the infirmary. Yes. That would have to work.  
  
At her side Lydia felt a nudge, and then she heard Lily say quietly, almost to the point where she couldn't hear it, "Lydia!"  
  
Lydia promptly opened her eyes and prepared to walk in - but barely refrained herself from running into the person who was standing there, holding the door open.  
  
Her gaze was focused low, but she could still see clearly the face of the person, waiting impatiently for the two girls to come in.  
  
Lily, this time from behind, quickly and effortlessly pushed Lydia on her back.  
  
Lydia flew forward, diving right for the ground, colors whirling around her, and she prayed that this fall would be her last one. She couldn't even muster the strength to stop her fall.  
  
Suddenly, Lydia felt herself suspended, and her stomach felt as if a baseball bat had smacked it. Her hands came up to grasp the arm that caught her, and she mentally cried as she gripped the cloth around it, and turned her gaze upward.  
  
Severus stood, slightly bent over, his right arm cradling Lydia's stomach as she leaned, her head inches from flying into the nearest object, his left hand still grasping the edge of the door.  
  
Lydia stayed like that for a few seconds, completely appalled at the situation she now found herself in. She looked up slowly, her eyes wide, and saw Snape had the same expression of horror on his face as he realized what he had just done.  
  
They immediately jumped apart, Lydia barely making it to a standing position, as Snape had removed his hold at the exact moment she had jumped off.  
  
All the students had whipped their heads around, and were standing or sitting without moving, their gazes all stuck on the figures in the doorway.  
  
A surprised Lily stood in the doorway, her eyes wide and mouth slightly open, watching.  
  
The class began buzzing, each person still one moment then the next all facing odd angles, spreading rumors and talking quietly, all frequently bringing their eyes back to the people in the doorway.  
  
"Enough!" Professor Sicily suddenly yelled, still not looking up from the paperwork accumulated all over her desk. "Be quiet, and get back to work! You all know how much is expected to be done by the end of the day."  
  
With that Lily moved past Lydia, and purposely knocked into her. Lydia, who was trying to steady herself after Snape had removed her support, was flung back his way. She quickly lurched back. Her eyes squinted closed, and re- opened them in the direction of Lily's table.  
  
Lily looked up, seeing the deadly stare aimed in her direction, and smiled apologetically, before trying to hide behind her cauldron.  
  
Lydia glared in her direction, and when Lily lifted her head momentarily, Lydia hissed, "I. Will. Kill you!"  
  
Lily coughed and turned to Malfoy, who was trying to dump a beaker of steaming blue substance into the cauldron, while trying to stay as far away from Lily as possible.  
  
Lydia tried to suppress her sighs and almost leaped over to her table and cauldron, which Snape had already gotten out and ready.  
  
She placed her bag by the end of the table, situating herself in the chair closest to the dusty wall.  
  
Pouring crushed beetle legs into small vial, Lydia sat, her entire body facing the wall, with her right elbow leaning on the desk, and her head leaning in the palm of her right hand. She swirled the vial around in the air, listening to the continuous hushed whispers of the class around her.  
  
Suddenly overwhelmingly irritated, Lydia flung the vial (which had a stopper on it) down onto the table, and stomped off in direction of the storeroom, though she was certain everything needed for the potion was already on the table.  
  
"Could you get a vial of the same size as the one you just broke, and more beetles while your up?" Snape clinked something on the desk, but Lydia refused to turn around and acknowledge him.  
  
She heard whispers and badly hushed giggles behind her, and sped up.  
  
The many glistening jars and bottles caught her eye as she turned around in the store room, looking for the beetles and some other ingredient that she knew she didn't need - though she hoped to waste time looking for it anyway.  
  
After a few minutes of intently studying the labels and contents of the jars of the first couple shelves she was nearest to, Lily came into the storeroom, eyes downcast, and an empty vial idly turning in her hands.  
  
Lily looked up, attempting to catch Lydia's eye, and walked over to her.  
  
"Lydia, I can safely say that everyone thinks you have died in here. I would come out if I were you - Snape is looking worried," At that part she grinned, in spite of herself and the current situation.  
  
Lydia shot her a dead glare, and turned back to studying the labels.  
  
"Why don't you go back and finish your potion, and leave me to my self pity?" Lydia sighed and lifted her hand to stir up the contents of a bottle labeled 'frogspawn - dangerous- do not shake'  
  
Lily looked to the bottle Lydia was reaching for, eyed the label for a moment, and quickly smacked Lydia's hand away.  
  
"Have you ever considered that you might be an escapist?" Lily stared for a moment, then coughed slightly. "I am sure-" She coughed again and looked away. "I am sure everything will be fine soon enough." She dared to look back up at her friend. "And if not everything, I am sure at least almost half your problems will be alright by next year." Lily smiled earnestly, and getting no response from her partner, she coughed again and turned to walk out of the room, her many reflections dancing over the bottles and beakers.  
  
She sighed, and turned towards the doorway.  
  
Before she could muster the strength to walk out into the classroom, someone tore into the room.  
  
Lydia stared straight forward, waiting for him to say or do something.  
  
Snape just rolled his eyes and grabbed the vial and beetles from her hands, and walked back out.  
  
Lydia turned to the back of the room, fresh self pity forming in her mind.  
  
After only a couple minutes of wallowing, more footsteps sounded behind her. She swiveled around, expecting Lily or Snape, or possibly Malfoy, just to piss her off, and found herself face to face with the professor.  
  
"Ah! Um, Professor Sicily, I, um, I -"  
  
"Save it, Miss Granger! Get out there and work on your potion now, before I take away house points!" Sicily stared at the empty handed girl, looking utterly pathetic, and the professor sighed. "If... anything happens, I will allow you to proceed down to the hospital wing for a rest,"  
  
Lydia looked up, feeling slightly better at that, as something would surely happen. Her trip down to safety was guaranteed.  
  
The professor grabbed her by the arm, and led her out of the store room. Sicily returned Lydia's arm and retreated to her desk, leaving Lydia standing in front of the class, with every pair of eyes but one staring in her direction.  
  
She coughed and walked around the edge of the classroom, carefully keeping her eyes down. She quickly fell into her chair the moment she reached it, and, looking at the table, tried to figure out what exactly had to happen to the potion now.  
  
Perhaps if she just fiddled with vials all class long, Snape could do whatever he pleased and finish it without her. He's good at potions.  
  
Suddenly, ugly misshapen purple roots were flung onto the portion of the desk in front of her, along with a long steel knife.  
  
Lydia snapped back when the knife flew into her vision, and she immediately moved the curtain of hair covering her eyes to glare at Snape.  
  
"Cut." He said slowly, while reading a piece of parchment.  
  
"You didn't have to throw the knife!" She growled, trying to keep the unrepressed comment from reaching the ears of her classmates.  
  
He snapped his head around, his eyes narrowed in a glare. "Oh, would you rather have had me to tap you and ask you politely if you wanted to help me make our potion?" He picked up a stray quill and drew a picture of a little box on the parchment. "Make the roots into cubes of about that size."  
  
Lydia picked up the knife, and realized she was fantasizing about thrusting it into someone's face.  
  
"About two centimeters?" She piped carelessly, eyeing the square.  
  
"Oh, you know what a centimeter is?"  
  
She could almost see the smug smirk on his face.  
  
"Severus," She said icily, bringing down the knife with an earsplitting crack. "Is your way of escaping running and hiding behind rude and sarcastic comments?" She lifted the knife above the roots, carelessly disregarding the size she was chopping them into. In an instant she had slammed the knife down again, gaining the attention of whatever students had been ignoring her before. "And," Chop chop. "Do the comments really," Chop chop chop. "Make you feel ANY." CHOP CHOP. "BETTER?" CHOP CHOP CHOP.  
  
With everyone watching she threw in the mutilated and uneven roots into the stewing cauldron, knowing that that wasn't the wisest thing in the world.  
  
The knife, still in her hand, was held up, like she was going to bring it down on Severus. Which she was seriously thinking about doing.  
  
He stared at the knife for a few moments, worry evident on his face, then turned his gaze to the probably ruined potion. Then, with one last glance at the knife, he turned his glare to meet Lydia's acid one.  
  
For a few seconds they just stood there, staring holes into each other, when from behind someone half whispered;  
  
"God, Snively, just kiss her already!"  
  
Lydia whirled around and in an instant had slammed the knife down on the table behind her, cutting through a sheep's heart that was lying in front of Sirius.  
  
"You say that again, you mangy dog, and next time that'll be your arm!"  
  
Sirius stared open mouth at the knife jammed into his ingredients and the table, and looked in Lydia's eyes, and, seeing a maddened look, scooted backwards.  
  
James, who had been covering his mouth from laughing, finally burst out.  
  
Snape, who had been standing with his wand out, ready to hex Sirius the moment he had said that, turned towards James.  
  
"Settle DOWN, now!" The professor yelled to the classroom, still not looking up from her parchments.  
  
Lydia threw one last glare before turning to her seat, leaving the knife stuck in Sirius' table.  
  
She began picking up vials and messing with them again, when suddenly a large, messy, red thing landed on the table next to her.  
  
"Uhhg!" She groaned, wiping off the stray blood droplets that were on the side of her face, and quickly picked up and threw the mutilated sheep's heart into her cauldron.  
  
"Lydia!" Snape hissed beside her. "I don't have enough time to fix all the problems you are causing! If you can't help, don't do a thing!"  
  
Lydia narrowed her eyes, and looked to the front of the room, where Sirius was up getting a new sheep's heart.  
  
She narrowed her eyes further as she saw James walk up to the ingredients, and begin whispering with Sirius.  
  
Of course, her instincts told her they were planning something evil, something vile, something completely them, and something most likely aimed at her.  
  
Sirius, a mad grin spreading across his face, glanced back at... Snape?  
  
Ah, of course, their blind hatred for him... she had almost forgotten.  
  
Once James had finished fiddling with the items up front, Lydia stood and made her way forward to where Sirius was still messing with his stuff.  
  
"Sirius," She said slowly, grabbing some purple root, "Whatever it is you are going to do, don't. I am just as good with a wand as any of you, and I will have to kick your butt if you try anything funny."  
  
Sirius looked over and snorted. "You couldn't do a thing to me if you tried!" He looked behind him slightly, to where James was sitting. "Besides," His grin began to reappear. "I am not going to do a thing!"  
  
"Oh, that's right - you are more of the badly-thought-up-insult-thrower, aren't you?" She sneered and walked away, edging towards the other side of the classroom,  
  
James, who was snickering with his partner, was holding his wand up in position behind his cauldron, aiming it for Snape and his potion.  
  
Lydia sighed and walked over to James. She gave up worrying about wandering around - Professor Sicily wasn't paying a bit of attention to the class today.  
  
"James! What are you doing?!"  
  
His wand lowered as he whipped his head around. "What?" He tried a fake smile, and turned back to his aiming and whispering.  
  
"James! What ever you are doing, don't!" She bent down by him, and tried to rip the wand out of his hands.  
  
"What? Are you afraid of your little Snapie-poo might get hurt?" The girl sitting at James' table giggled.  
  
Lydia felt her face going red, and realized she really didn't have a reason for stopping James - other then keeping Snape from exploding.  
  
"Hah! Of course! That's MY potion he's over there fixing! I am not going to do it by myself, if something happens to it I'll fail!" She made another attempt to grab the wand from him.  
  
"Don't touch me!" He growled, yanking his wand away. "And don't even try to deny anything! Did you completely forget about before? Anyway - Snape is a loser - he is only getting what he deserves."  
  
Suddenly enraged, Lydia grabbed his wand with her left hand, and, when he tried to yank it away, she lifted her right hand, and, with all the strength she could muster, she slapped James across the face.  
  
She quickly stood, James' wand in her hand, and pulled out her own.  
  
James scrambled to his feet, and stared openly at Lydia. "What the hell -"  
  
Once again, the entire class was staring.  
  
James eyed Lydia's wand, which was pointing in his direction, and he winced as he saw the mad look in her eyes. "You have gone off the deep end, Lydia," He said sadly.  
  
He lunged forward, making to grab his wand, but before he got there she threw it over her head -  
  
Where it made a splash.  
  
Lydia turned around, her wand down, and realized it had just flown into her own cauldron. Snape moved his eyes from the potion to Lydia and James, who where standing together in the middle of the aisle.  
  
"For the last time - settle down!" The professor called again. This time she made a glance upwards, and as she saw Lydia and James in the aisle, and everyone standing or sitting where they could see the pair, and James clasping onto Lydia's arm, her eyes widened. "Miss Granger! Mister Potter! What are you doing out of your seats? Get back to your potions now!" She paused for a moment, in which she tilted her head up and took a whiff of the air. "What's that smell?"  
  
Everyone instantly followed her example and began to sniff.  
  
Lydia turned and leaned toward her own cauldron, where the smell was most potent, and gasped when she saw bubbles flying out of the cauldron.  
  
Snape muttered a string of curse words and made a hasty retreat from the cauldron, when he cried, "RUN!"  
  
The class was in a blind panic, running from the cauldron that was now oozing large, shiny bubbles, when suddenly the room went black.  
  
Lydia woke what felt like two seconds later, and looked around her.  
  
Large purple piles of goop and crap were lying everywhere - covering almost everything in sight - including herself. "Lily?" She instinctively cried.  
  
People were waking up around her, moving around, groaning at the mess.  
  
A sharp movement caught Lydia's eye, and she swung her head around.  
  
From what appeared to be the Professors desk, covered in the purple goo, A figure stood, and wiped off as much goop from itself as it could. It looked down on the desk, dug in and pulled out several ruined piece of parchments, and screeched,  
  
"POTTER! GRANGER! FIFTY POINTS FROM GRYFFINDOR AND DETENTION!"  
  
~*~  
  
Lydia stood, pointing her wand and the various objects and repeating the incantation that got the purple goop off... the only thing that got the purple goop off.  
  
James stood on the other side of the classroom, avoiding any sort of contact whatsoever with Lydia - which she didn't mind in the slightest.  
  
She sighed and blasted another little area, and watched as the purple goop removed itself from the objects and floor and rose in the air, where it met up with about a ton of more purple goop. It waited there until the air was full, and they had to take the goop out of the school.  
  
Only a few more areas needed cleaning. Lydia sighed. She had been working at this for two days, along with James. Potions was being held in another unoccupied room for the days classes.  
  
There was a clatter behind her, from across the room. She looked to see James dropping things.  
  
"Well, I'm finished with my half." And with that he went into the office to be dismissed by Professor Sicily.  
  
Lydia sighed and continued until she figured she was done.  
  
She walked briskly into the office, peering her head around the corner and into the room.  
  
The Professor sensed herself being watched, and looked up. "Done, are you? Well - let me check."  
  
Lydia nodded and followed Sicily out into the room.  
  
"Well, that table isn't nearly done, and over there underneath those chairs needs finished, but after that you may go." Lydia turned around with a sigh to finish her work. "Oh, wait-"  
  
The Professor leaned against her desk and folded her arms. "I can't believe you would do this - but-"  
  
"Professor! I already told you, it was Potter," She said loudly and venomously, "He was going to -"  
  
"Yes, yes! We've discussed this already. But, as I was saying, there is yet another punishment for you coming. You know, of course, that your potion was destroyed (and nearly destroyed all the others!), and without that potion you will not pass this class. There is one way to fix it, however, but it will require unwavering attention and a lot of work. Starting tomorrow night, you will be coming into this room to work on your potion - with Mister Snape. It will take approximately two weeks to finish. I have special directions for you to follow, but I am sure they will be no problem to either of you. You will come at seven o'clock, and stay till nine. Now, finish your job, and leave."  
  
Lydia finished in a hurry, and ran as fast as she could up the stairs and down the hallways and through the corridors to the Gryffindor rooms.  
  
She stopped to wheeze and breath out the password, then climbed in through the portrait hole, and ran up to the girl's rooms. She whipped open the door and flew to her bed, where she flopped face up on the bed.  
  
Two weeks, alone with Snape...  
  
She sighed and flipped over on her stomach.  
  
The door to the room creaked. Sighing into her pillow, Lydia said, "I'm guessing its you, Lily." Lydia turned on her side and watched Lily bound into the room.  
  
"Ah, I thought I saw you flying by!" Lily said with a large grin. She came over and sat on her bed, her large grin still plastered on her face.  
  
Lydia sat up slowly. She looked into the eyes of her friend and realized they were empty, and that something was definitely wrong.  
  
"Um, Lily?" Lydia leaned forward slightly. "Are you-"  
  
"Do you remember what we were talking about last night?" Lily said, the grin still on her face.  
  
"No," Lydia said slowly, cocking her head.  
  
"About James?"  
  
"We were talking about James?"  
  
"Well, no... but now that you mention it, does he seem..." She coughed. "A bit more of an ass to you?" She looked intently at her friend, and her grin dropped off of her face.  
  
"Well, Sirius already had that spot for me, but James, I've realized has been... ruder... lately." Lydia noticed that Lily was shifting very uncomfortably.  
  
"Yeah, well... have I told you yet that he keeps asking me to go with him?" She said nervously, and stared at her friend.  
  
"I figured he would have already - he is always staring at you, and trying to always be next to you, and-"  
  
"Well, I keep telling him no, but he won't stop, and he keeps trying to keep me away from Remus-" Here she blushed.  
  
"Haven't we already gone over all of this? James is just trying to impress you (And yes, he is being a bit of an ass while doing so, but.) - and well, about keeping you away from Remus," Lydia snorted. "That's a bit rich, but you do keep staring at him, and I think he does you, so if James was worried about that, I would understand."  
  
Lily blushed further. "I do not!" She cried out, her eyes widening. "I do absolutely nothing of the sort! And. well. I was hoping maybe you could help me ditch James?" Lily smiled a hopeful smile.  
  
Lydia just sighed and fell back on her bed. "I'm going to sleep. I need my energy - I have to re-do my potion, starting tomorrow night." She decided to leave out the part about her having to spend two hours a day in private with Snape...  
  
"Doesn't Snape have to help you with it?" Lily said, slightly muffled by a yawn.  
  
"Yeah, I'm sure," Lydia said quickly, turning over on her back and shutting her curtains. "Good-night!"  
  
Lily sat flustered, and, after realizing that she shouldn't pry into the subject, readied herself for bed.  
  
~*~  
  
Lydia woke in the middle of the night, completely unaware of her surroundings, what was going on, or what time it was.  
  
She'd had another one of those nightmares - this one mainly focused on Sirius. At least she was sure it was Sirius... her memory wasn't that great.  
  
Her eyes widened as she remembered earlier that she promised herself that she would go to the library - and now that she was up she couldn't close her eyes again.  
  
She slipped on her black robe and tiptoed out of the room, down the stairs, out of the common and through the school. Once she reached the library door, she took one last look around her, and creaked open the door. She squeezed herself through the crack and tiptoed across the large library.  
  
"I figured that you would be here tonight," Severus said lightly, flipping a page in his book.  
  
"OHmyGOD!" She jumped at least three feet and leaned back onto the bookshelf for support. "Don't you ever do that to me again!" She hissed, clutching her heart-area and looking around the bookshelf for anyone or anything that might've heard her scream.  
  
Lydia glared as hard as she could at Snape, who was leaning coolly against the bookshelf behind him, obviously waiting for her.  
  
"You came here tonight, out of a hunch I would show up?" She said suspiciously, still leaning against the bookshelf.  
  
"Well..." He coughed slightly. "I also came here yesterday night, and the night before," Lydia lifted an eyebrow. "But... it wasn't a complete loss - I found a few good books."  
  
"Did you need to talk to me? Or did you show up to hide, and only came to piss me off?" She folded her arms and narrowed her eyes, waiting for his excuse.  
  
"Yes, I wanted to talk to you - and you don't have to be so snippy about it, I wanted to handle this as adults, and 'clear the air', so to speak."  
  
Lydia's frown became more pronounced as she responded in a bitter voice, "Yeah, and what you did a couple nights ago was very 'adult', Severus! You just... left me... there..." She broke off slowly, turning away and feeling herself slightly blush.  
  
Severus stood up straight slowly, and looked at her. "Yes, well, I deserve everything that has happened to me... What I did was completely stupid - and if I considered myself your friend- and I do - I wouldn't have done something as... idiotic as that." He seemed to be struggling as he spoke, as if each word was causing a knife to be plunged into his side... and for a second Lydia felt kind of sorry. But then she remembered what had happened, and her anger flared.  
  
"But - I wanted to apologize for my behavior, and explain to you why I did such a thing - believe me, I didn't do it to intentionally hurt you, I'm not that cruel,"  
  
Lydia snorted, her eyes moving back to the floor.  
  
"I did it because... well, you scared the hell out of me with that answer - I was absolutely NOT expecting it, and I don't know how to ... do ... feelings," He said the last word with difficulty, scrunching his nose with the effort.  
  
At that moment Lydia decided to break the horrid silence with a sarcastic remark, which she couldn't keep inside despite herself. "Severus Snape can't deal with feelings? Oh, now that's certainly a shocker to me!" She muttered dryly.  
  
This seemed to break his determination not to get angry, for he gave her a look that shot daggers and said loudly, "I'm a man - men don't DO feelings, especially not Slytherins!"  
  
"You're a man?" Lydia said quizzically, barely repressing a snort.  
  
He gave a long suffering sigh, as though about to give up. "Look! I'm more sorry about this than I can say, and I don't want to ruin the only friendship I have over it. Will-" He coughed again, and spit out the last part as though it were on fire- "Willyouforgiveme?"  
  
"What was that?" Lydia said slowly, really not hearing it, but correctly guessing what it was.  
  
He narrowed his eyes extensively, and Lydia leaned back, and slid down to sit on the floor.  
  
"Well, I said it, and I know I said it, so my conscience is cleared."  
  
She sat and considered this a moment. Well, she thought, even though I'm incredibly angry, and he will never understand how uncomfortable I will be now around him, the apology did make me feel incredibly better about the subject, and if the problem isn't resolved now we will probably never talk again, and I certainly can't have that...  
  
She felt a tingle slide up her spine and a blush cover her face, but fortunately it was too dim for Severus to have noticed anything.  
  
He stood impatiently waiting, twitching and muttering.  
  
Lydia sighed slightly. "The fact that I can't stay angry with you is mildly irritating, but, I guess I must forgive you - it would be incredibly hard to get our potion done if I couldn't look at your or talk to you," She said with a weak smile.  
  
"Did you come here for..." He started slowly, pointing towards the time travel books.  
  
"Yes - to try once again to figure out my past." She laughed weakly, thankful that she was already sitting down.  
  
"Are you going to stay? Because I need to leave - report to do."  
  
"Then why did you come in the first place?" She raised an eyebrow as she watched him edging away.  
  
He turned to her and lowered his hand. She looked at it for a second, and with a sigh took it, and he pulled her to her feet.  
  
"Wasn't this worth it?" He said slowly, looking her in the eyes.  
  
She stopped breathing for a moment, and realized, though she was already standing, she was still holding his hand.  
  
"Are you going to stay and look up time travel mishaps?" He said slowly, apparently not paying attention to the situation he was in.  
  
He eyed her hand, coughed, and she let go, blushing furiously and coughing out a 'sorry'.  
  
Lydia breathlessly shook her head, and said quietly, "Suddenly I feel really tired,"  
  
"Shall we go?" He said slowly, and Lydia realized that she had been rooted to the spot.  
  
She laughed weakly and said, "Yeah, sure,"  
  
Suddenly something inside her head snapped, and she realized what she was doing - And she realized how very embarrassed she was feeling. Though she couldn't really explain why...  
  
For a moment she considered making a break for it, but, she really didn't want to...  
  
"Oh!" She said suddenly, obviously shocking the person beside her, "If you EVER do a think like that again, I will - I will -"  
  
"Cut of my limbs and feed them to a toad?" Severus said, the corner of his mouth twitching.  
  
She smiled to herself. "Yeah, something like that, only more painful."  
  
~*~  
  
I bet you think that's the closest to kissing they will get! Well, don't worry, its not. *sigh* Well, I am finished revising each and every single chapter to match the fifth books information - and I am so glad I am done! I re-read through this one hesitently, and realized how very embarrassed I was feeling as I read this, and wondered how the hell I managed to write that ending without shriveling up and dying, so I had to change it. So anyone just now reading this, that ending was originally a lot sappier before. I hate sappyness. I hated chapter 12. I didn't want to do that ending, but I absolutely had to.  
  
Ha HA! This story I was going to do exactly as I did it - before I read the book! I wanted to make James seem like the asshole, even though I really didn't think he would be, but then the fifth hp book - I was already making James mean, and now, NOW, I have no reason not to! And to everyone who said that I made Sirius too mean, well... I feel kindof sorry now... but, see, he was mean! I told you! *still feels sorry* And to everyone who knew the marauders suck (except Remmie!!), we are the right ones! Muuuahahahahahaha!  
  
Gwaa! I just remembered - I don't remember if the story has, anywhere in it, tables in the potions class with the cauldrons by them! In fact, I don't even know how the Potions room really looks, only by what the game boy video game looks like, and the fading picture I have in my head from the books. Which I can't reinforce, as my Harry Potter library is packed away somewhere. SO, unless someone can detailed-ly describe it to me, or JKR draws a picture and personally sends it to me, it will basically be made up and will hopefully be re-put together back in your head while reading. Yah.  
  
Thank you for reviewing so far! I know this story is getting frustrating. but I just can't do anything about it. Well, I could, but I absolutely, point blank, refuse to force the two people into bed together- boom- just like that. Or kiss, either. The romance will develop. Not pop up out of no where. develop.  
  
Check out my other brand new story! By the way, it is another mini- snape/herm romance. I love those kinds. I am absolutely in love with them.  
  
Oh, and please, please review! I need a reason for writing.  
  
If you have any suggestions, please tell me. It would make the story so much better! I am serious. If it weren't for my wonderful muse Ducky, this story would have died at chapter five. Technically, I think Ducky came in to help around the Christmas ball, but came in full-time two chapters later. 


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